Customer Reviews

The Magic of Things: Still-Life Painting 1500-1800

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This book is the catalogue for the current exhibition held at the Kunstmuseum Basel,which already appeared at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt. It is divided into several essays, on the prehistory of still-life painting (still-lifes already appear in religious paintings of the XVth century)and on the role of Flemish painters in the development of the genre in the Frankfurt region. These two essays are then followed by studies on the different types of still-lifes (Vanitas, banquet, fish, game) and on some key artists like Jan Davidz. de Heem (famous for his sumptuous still-lifes). The book ends with the XVIIIth century when the rules of floral still-lifes in Germany were edicted by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his autobiography "Dichtung und Wahrheit" (Poetry and Truth).

This book is well served by wonderful illustrations of works by such masters as Georg Flegel, Willem Claesz Heda, Sebastian Stoskopff or Jan van Kessel, among others, but it is somewhat misleading: in no way is it a definitive study of still-life painting from 1500 to 1800, as it is limited to German, Dutch and Flemish artists. Granted, a beautiful strawberry still-life by Chardin appears at the end, but it is the exception that proves the rule and it is somewhat lost among the large group of central European paintings. Italian (Carravagio...) or Spanish still life (Melendez, Zurbaran...) are completely omitted, which is, in my opinion, quite disappointing and should have been mentioned in the title of the book (which only says "still-life painting 1500-1800"). Besides, many of the artists discussed are, at the most, "petits maîtres", which accounts for the weakness of many of the works illustrated in these pages.

In short, some beautiful illustrations of mostly average works (with the above-mentioned exceptions).

I am a still life artist and was looking for such a book for a long time!
Magnificent book, outstanding illustrations, real inspiration for an artist or an art lover.I am really happy that I have it!