The Most Arrogant Man in France: Gustave Courbet and the Nineteenth-Century Media Culture (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this insightful book, Chu (who edited and translated Gustave Courbet's letters) examines how the painter (1819–1877) used the press to market his work. Courbet, who once called himself "the proudest and most arrogant man in France," relished any kind of publicity and courted journalists, critics and editors who reviewed his work and published letters in which he explained his paintings and expounded his antiestablishment philosophy. He claimed that art could not be taught and that it should not be controlled by the state, and his paintings often attacked such institutions as the church and the academy. Analyzing many of these paintings, Chu shows how their subtly subversive content caused public debate while eluding the censors. Courbet's proudest moment came in 1870, when he refused a knighthood cross in the French Legion of Honor and published a letter saying that the state was "incompetent in matters of art." But facing punishment for participating in the riots of 1871, he fled to Switzerland and died there several years later. Chu's brilliant study of Courbet's paintings and marketing strategies sheds much light on his work and the artistic milieu of the 19th century. B&w and color illus. (May)
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Review

"The title of her new book she took from a boast made by Courbet himself." -- Stephen Goode, The Washington Times

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; illustrated edition edition (March 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691126798
• ISBN-13: 978-0691126791
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #773,097 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book by preeminent Courbet Scholar, September 5, 2008

By	Cheyenne "Cheyenne" (Fog City, CA) - See all my reviews

Gives insights on how the 19th century realist painter deftly used the media to spur his own career. Gives art historical, biographical, and general historical insights.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great history book, April 28, 2008

By	Jason Gans - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

excellent book. thouroughly informative. speaks of courbet's work through the eyes and mouths of his contemporaries. paints a wonderful picture of his life and times.