Stefano Zuffi

A useful and attractively produced guide to the representation of love and desire in Western art, part of a series of thematic explorations of art originally published in Italian. The Italian origin is helpful because the examples chosen go beyond the usual suspects likely in a British book on the subject.

Do not get this if you are prurient. It is open and frank but also serious in intent (though very easy to read) covering all variations on the theme of love, including conjugal love and the show more imagery surrounding famous literary lovers and mythological and biblical subjects. A nice reference text, show less

Absolutely gorgeous book. Puts in easy enough terms the frame of mind and influences in Caravaggio's many works through the genius mode of cutouts. Particularly famous paintings are given a spread of 2 pages focused on a detail of importance (The Calling of Saint Matthew, Bacchus, The Cardsharps, etc.) Here were some of my favorites:








The cutouts offered me a chance to view and analyze the painting for myself before reading the page's interpretation, in a way "guiding" me to what to look for show more in his paintings.

I only wish the book had more analysis and less emphasis on the many homes, complicated commissioners and their 5 names, and museums the paintings passed through. The small paragraphs before the painting were at times a bit incongruous as well. I don't have the strongest grasp of the saints and biblical stores either, and so a bit more on that would have made it more informational (I still don't know what Saint Lucia did or died by).

Also, be aware this is a huge book, (10 x 13) so like... this is home reading. Still a definite recommend. Can't wait to get a biography or two on this man. show less

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What came before Andy Warhol or Piet Modrian or Wasilly Kandinsky or Franz Marc? It was european painting since the late middle ages. And an engaging panorama it is. Psssst! There wasn't any photography or even digital cameras before 170 years ago. Painting was it. If you were rich enough and wanted to be remembered by your posterity, you got your portrait done by an underpaid genius painter. Less than four centruies later it might net its owner forty million euros on the auction block. show more That's painting! show less