I discovered this book in Dulwich Art Gallery
bookshop. As soon as I picked it up and held this large book in my hands I was
hooked. I had to own a copy. Here were two of my favourite things, art and
storytelling woven together by Kate Evans’ beautiful illustrations.
Michael Bird explains in the preface which is entitled
‘part of the magic.’
‘I
wanted to tell the history of art through a series of stories. A story, even if
you’ve heard it before, takes place in the here-and–now of the imagination.’
The book covers the history of art from 40,000 BC to
2014. It tells the story chronologically and is clearly laid out under headings
with intriguing titles such as ‘great ambitions’ (1425-1550), ‘seeing it
differently’ (1860-1900) and ‘Where It’s At’ (1950 -2014).
The range of artists covered is diverse ranging from
African artists to Ai Weiwei, Monet to Muybridge to Varvara Stepanova to Ibn
al-Bawwab. The book is clearly laid out and easy to navigate making it perfect
to dip into. There is a glossary, a list of artworks and where to find them.
There are double page maps to give you a sense of place such as New York in the
1950’s or Amsterdam in the 1600’s.
The stories have beguiling titles such as ‘The Night
is Young’ (Titian), ‘Pebbles and Bombs’ (Henty Moore) and ‘Bottletop Magic’ (El
Anatsui). The stories are told with warmth, humour and they reveal Michael’s
vast knowledge of art history with a light but powerful touch.
Kate Evans’ watercolour illustrations have a softness
and warmth that unifies the book. The subtle palette of colours that she uses throughout
complement both the stories and the vast range of art works.
This book is a keeper. It is perfect for a school
library or classroom or presented as a gift to treasure. The stories would also
make good bedtime reading.
As Michael says, ‘I
never want art to lose its strangeness. It is part of the magic.’
ISBN 978-1-78067-614-2
Laurence King Publishing
www.laurenceking.com
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4 comments:
Do love hearing about books I might otherwise have missed! Thanks, Lynda. This title sounds a great and inclusive "art idea", so well done to the Dulwich Art Gallery for stocking such a good book.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Lynda. A brilliant post. It's the kind of book I would have spent days poring over as a child, and probably will do so now.
Its a great book - from Dulwich Picture Gallery - apologies for the
slip up in the title!
This sounds wonderful! Thanks, Lynda.
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