The Course of Human History Personified (Hardcover)

~ Marcel Dzama (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Course of Human History Personified, is borrowed from Dante and recalls both grandiose artistic and literary cycles from the nineteenth century such as the New York Hudson River School artist Thomas Cole s five-painting The Course of Empire of 1836, where nature plays as large a role as humans. In Dzama s art, personification has always been the main leitmotif imagined characters and trees and beasts assume base human characteristics. (Rosenfeld, Jason. From Viewing Human History Through a Unique Lens, 2005)

About the Author

Known for his figurative compositions of pen and watercolor on manila-colored paper with a characteristic palette of muted browns, grays, greens, yellows, and reds, Dzama s drawings are populated by human characters, animals, hybrids sometimes combined with text that are placed against empty backgrounds. Caught in unlikely situations, his characters and their environments are stripped of specific narrative contexts, thus offering many possible interpretations. The artist's cast of characters is expansive and characters often reappear, though in each drawing their roles become more complex and defined. The work draws from a variety of sources, among them native mythology, Inuit art, Dante s Divine Comedy, medieval paintings, and American folklore. Dzama is influenced by the work of William Blake, Francisco de Goya, Sandro Botticelli, and James Ensor, among others.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: David Zwirner (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976913615
• ISBN-13: 978-0976913610
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #449,844 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fun and perverse Dzama book, December 19, 2007

By	purewonka (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

How about that accordion foldout that goes on and on and on.... I unfolded it on my bed and it stretched from one end to the other. AND the foldout is two-sided! This is a book collectors will be scrambling for in years to come. Add it to your fine art library if you are Dzama fan. I have no gripe. I scoffed at the price, but now that I have the book I understand why it costs so much. That foldout is CRAZY.

5.0 out of 5 stars Prime Dzama, August 15, 2009

By	W. Rosen "chickendog" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dzama at his best here. This book is filled with the wonderful drawings we Dzama fans have come to love. What I like about this and all the other Dzama books is that he treats each one as its own art object so you get no overlap between each of the books. Every book is worth adding to the collection as a Dzama collectible. This is one of my favorites and the art is presented in an attractive hardcover volume.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars kindness/, September 15, 2006

By	Max Fenton (Charlottesville, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Marcel is very kind + this book collects delicate drawings of war and violence.