- Hardcover: 395 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday (April 1 1989)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385184492
- ISBN-13: 978-0385184496
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 726 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Watson has chosen a single Renaissance painting, Paolo Veronese's Wisdom and Strength , on which to base a freewheeling group portrait of some 20 of the richest, most powerful art patrons of the last 400 years, from "mad Hapsburg Emperor Rudolph II," who commissioned the painting, to robber baron Henry Clay Frick, whose estate now owns it. By explaining how and why the painting journeyed from owner to owner, Watson ( Caravaggio Conspiracy ) sheds light on topics ranging from the "secret meanings of allegory" to the dominant hues of Thomas Hope's (of Hope Diamond fame) drawing room. Yet, though he describes his book as the biography of a painting, Wisdom and Strength itself receives only a fraction of the attention lavished on the characters and habits of its owners. And while the author discusses such art historical developments as the rise of mannerism, the relationship of the baroque to the Counter-Reformation and the changing role of the artist in society, Watson's main concern is the nature of high-powered art dealing. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The 16th-century painting "Wisdom and Strength," an allegory by the Venetian Paolo Veronese, passed through the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, Queen Christina of Sweden, the Duke of Orleans, and Thomas Hope, and survived war looting, art market fluctuations, and numerous journeys across Europe before reaching its current home at the Frick Collection in New York. British journalist Watson traces the colorful lives and times of the painting's owners, interjecting nontechnical discussions of patronage, the history of pigment, and similar art historical topics. The color plates that would have helped to show why collectors so coveted this luminous masterpiece are notably absent--the painting being reproduced in color only on the book jacket. Still, this is an unusual book that makes for good reading. Recommended for public libraries.
- Annette Melville, Research Lib . Group, Stanford, Cal.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Annette Melville, Research Lib . Group, Stanford, Cal.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not well written and hard to read.,
By Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Eyes of the Fleet: A Poplular History of Frigates and Frigate Captains 1793-1815 (Hardcover)
The very least I would expect from the author of this, his twentieth book (the previous 19 being all fiction) is an understanding of grammar and punctuation - something which is sadly lacking in this work.As a general rule, we do not start sentences with "And" or "But" and, although occasionally acceptable, there are too many instances here. Just as a capital letter commences any new sentence, so a capital letter is the first to appear after a colon - but not in this work. Furthermore, I found too many instances of digression when try to make a simple point. All of which is off-putting for the serious reader. In short, this book is hard to review because it is most difficult to read and if it can't be read - then there really is no point in it being reviewed in the first place. Poor showing - especially after all that research. NM
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wisdom,Beauty always wins over Strength,Brute Force.,
By cgi90487@icepr.com (Isla Verde, Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
This review is from: WISDOM AND STRENGTH (Hardcover)
How can a work of art last so long? It is that art is stronger than evil.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glimpse of the Past,
By
This review is from: The Eyes of the Fleet: A Poplular History of Frigates and Frigate Captains 1793-1815 (Hardcover)
Not a book about the major battles of the Napoleonic era, although there is some minor coverage of them in the author's effort to present reference for his real topic. The author makes a grand effort to characterize frigate captains of the Napoleonic era by presenting pseudo biographies of a half dozen men from the era. All of the names come from the roles of the British navy - Pigot, Cochrane, Hoste, Pellew, Hornblower (fictional). To these main few he adds generous material on other captains from the British navy as well as that of the Americans and French.The author alternates painting detailed pictures of the selected captains' careers, as well as using broad strokes to describe the events and attitudes for the period of the 1790's - 1815. While the focus of the book is the selected captains, the author does an admirable job of describing related topics like ship development, the British method of naval advancement/promotion, political climate and crew treatment. I was pleasantly surprised by the entertaining content and writing style. The only negative comment I have is that the book could have used a generous sprinkling of maps to help the reader better envision the situations described. For additional reading on frigate captains try The Sea Warriors: The Fighting Captains and Their Ships in the Age of Nelson by Richard Woodman.
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