Claudio Bravo: Paintings and Drawings [Hardcover]

Paul Bowles (Author), Claudio Bravo (Author), Hugo Valcarce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

This monograph presents the paintings of Claudio Bravo. The two introductory essays offer an insight into the man as well as the painter and provide a glimpse into Bravo's house in Tangier - with its collection of art objects and furnishings. The book concludes with an interview with Bravo himself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The late novelist Paul Bowles delivers an odd compliment in the introduction to this sumptuously illustrated survey of the neoclassical painter Claudio Bravo. Bravo (b. 1936), he says, sure knows how to manage his Moroccan servants. Yet Bowles's comment may be more relevant than it first appears, for Bravo's talent for control is evident in every painting reproduced here; no one who opens this book will doubt that he has a dazzling technical mastery of his materials. And if a handful of self-consciously thematic paintings (stiffly posed models and vaguely symbolic objects) and an essay written in impenetrable art talk by critic Calvo Serraller fail to definitely establish Bravo as a Serious Artist," this detracts little from the book's real attraction: the glorious still lifes. Bravo's canvases from the early 1960s through the recent past depict flowers, curtains, vegetables, statuettes and a variety of opulent housewares arranged just so—all with a fineness of detail that flirts with photorealism while retaining a warm, painterly feel. True, after the 20th or so perfect composition in a rich Mediterranean light, some viewers might begin to find Bravo's paintings a bit repetitive. The subject matter and the basic look of his paintings—his hypnotically clear midday interiors—have been much the same throughout his career. But regardless of Bravo's ultimate place in art history, his many fans will find this definitive collection to be a treasure trove and a delight. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Critical opinion of this Chilean-born realist ranges from "vulgar" to "compelling." Those in the latter camp will be pleased with the more than 200 crisp and luminous color reproductions of Bravo's sensuous landscapes, still lifes, and proto-Renaissance figure paintings rendered with startlingly deft technical virtuosity. Unfortunately, finding a particular illustration by title is problematic, as the index of works is not alphabetically arranged. The introductory essays by literary notables Bowles and Vargas Llosa are also disappointing, curiously set in large type, and do more to add to the artist's mystique as an ascetic living in Tangiers than to explain his place in 20th-century art history. A more substantive and authoritative text is provided by Edward J. Sullivan in an earlier, much slimmer monograph (Claudio Bravo, 1985. o.p.). Nevertheless, the many gorgeous plates, together with a good bibliography, biographical data, and listings of exhibitions and collections, make this a worthy purchase for libraries with an interest in 20th-century or Latin American art.?Heidi Martin Winston, NYPL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 273 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press; 1st edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789202077
• ISBN-13: 978-0789202079
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,422,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! Realism is alive and well!, September 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Claudio Bravo: Paintings and Drawings (Hardcover)

For those of the "realist" persuasion, "Claudio Bravo" is a must-have library addition. The quality and reproduction is outstanding. Bravo's range as to subject matter, composition, and execution in various media is nothing short of genius. Clearly, Bravo is a modern master and the compilation of his work and life has been done masterfully in this book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When your soul is shattered then it's amazing, May 2, 2002

By 

adam narcross (North Carolina Chapel-Hill) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Claudio Bravo: Paintings and Drawings (Hardcover)

Right lets start off by skipping the origin stuff, the early years stuff, and who associated with whom stuff. Claudio Bravo is hands down the best artist there is still living, period. Fluff piece? not when merit is the order of the day. Practically self- taught Bravo paints with obvious skill and attention. He explains his approach, in the text, and within the still lifes, (his are the only ones I thought worth a damn.) and figurative work, whether in oil, pastel, chalk, or pencil, he commands his instinct to persue his vision. Don't like it? Tough, Bravo isn't ashamed, nor repentent about his skill as a realist, quasi- or otherwise. I saw the man's work at Duke in '88 and made my decision there and then to be an artist. I've never looked back, and his book is a confirmation of ideals badly missed in contemporary art, and I wish there were more copies so I could buy one. Now old boy is in the 60's U.S. take notice, this is one true artist not likely to come this way again, dig it. Adam Narcross

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Generous Feast for Lovers of Realism, December 3, 2005

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Claudio Bravo: Paintings and Drawings (Hardcover)

Representational art - observing and painting what is actually seen by the artist - remains the constant in the fluctuating trends and movements in art history. There are times when realist painting is praised and times when it is loathed as passé and static. But in the hands of its masters, and Claudio Bravo the Chilean artist painting in Tangiers is certainly one of them, it is a zenith of creativity.

This lavishly illustrated book is a visual delight, including the inordinately beautiful drawings seldom seen in addition to the paintings of figures, of still lifes, of color and light and intensity as few others can imitate. As with all representational artists Bravo has his champions and his detractors, some viewers finding his work from lewd to boring while others stand in awe of the painters amazing gifts of incorporating light and mood where few other artists tread.

The accompanying written essays are interesting to a degree but hardly inform about Bravo's craft while speculating about his life. Even in the hands of brilliant writer Paul Bowles there is little to learn about painting beyond the author-drawn similarities of expatriate creative lives. Recommended for lovers of beauty. Grady Harp, December 05