A Face to the World: On Self-Portraits - Softcover

Laura Cumming

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007118449 ISBN 13: 9780007118441

Publisher: HarperCollins UK, 2010

Synopsis

Focusing on the extraordinary art of self-portraiture, this book examines the lives of artists through their self-portraits. Drawing on art, biography, literature, history and philosophy, it considers the intimate truths and elaborate fictions of self-portraiture.

About this title

About the Author:

Laura Cumming is art critic for the Observer. Previously, she was Arts Editor for the New Statesman and Arts Producer for the BBC.

Review:

`Deserves a place of honour on every art lover's shelf...Tenderly, creatively written, jargon- and waffle-free, the book wears deep learning with an unaffected grace but touches...on truths beyond the protocols of art criticism.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent `Intelligent, humorous, swinging freely between erudition and colloquialism. I immediately found myself at home in this book, feeling as though I'd been reading and thinking about this subject all my life.' Jonathan Coe `Positively fizzes with ideas; just about every single paragraph contains a fresh observation' Nick Hornby, Observer, Books of the Year `A literary as well as an artistic triumph' David Cox, Evening Standard, Books of the Year `Laura Cumming combines great clarity of style with a wide range of taste. All aspiring critics of any art form should take a look at how much she can say in a short space.' Clive James `A beautiful and intriguing book...though Cumming's book is stacked with visual masterpieces, it is her writing that most claims admiration. She notices every detail in a painting, the way a carpet folds, the varying textures in a dog's fur, and registers them with a poet's precision...she relies on keen observation, linguistic power and lots of knowledge. It adds up to the most enjoyable art book I have read for years' John Carey, Sunday Times

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0007118449
• ISBN 13: 9780007118441
• Binding: Paperback