With outraeous anecdotes about everyone from Leonardo (alleged sodomist) to Caraviaggio (convicted murderer) to Edward Hopper (alleged wife beater), Secret Lives of Great Artists recounts the seamy, steamy, and gritty history behind the great masters of international art. You’ll learn that Michelangelo’s body odor was so bad, his assistants couldn’t stand working for him; that Vincent van Gogh sometimes ate paint directly from the tube; and Georgia O’Keeffe loved to paint in the nude. This is one art history lesson you’ll never forget!
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Book Description
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About the Author
Elizabeth Lunday is a journalist specializing in architecture and art. She writes the “Masterpieces” column for mental_floss magazine and lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Not too bad. It's like an art history review with some extra tips you don't learn in class. The really juicy parts don't have too much detail though, unfortunately.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Secrets we actually do kind of know already...Theres my twelve bucks down the drain....
December 12, 2009
By ark
Format:Paperback
I have just finished my book after reading it for mmm... maybe half a day. I have to say I had high hopes for this book at first glance. I really wanted to see what kind of dirt the writer had to offer. And I have to say that I was none to impressed with the research. I mean the title itself is a little misleading. But perhaps its because I majored in Art and am teaching it myself. But while reading the book, I felt as if the writer could have put more effort into "finding out secrets" instead of just reitterating the ones we already know. Yes she put together a nice short summary for each artist, but the illustrations in the book were probally the only interesting parts of this book. If I had wanted a short biography of each artist, this book would have been great. If your looking for more than what you learned in your College Art History classes or from Wikipedia, this book is not for you.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By amorfortuna2
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I found this to be succinct and fascinating. This is my 3rd 'Secret Lives' book and I think this one is right on par with the authors and composers editions. Great short reads, not meant to be a complete history of anyone, obviously, but perfect at someone at a moderate knowledge level of a subject. Makes me interested to know much more about some of these artists. Great series!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Filled Facts
It is filled with interesting stories the artists. But it covers the odd balls and leaves out the normal ones.
Published 2 months ago by Lynne A. Sims
2.0 out of 5 stars
Secret Lives
I was looking for a way to catch my students attention with interesting stories of artists that we discuss in class. However, I wasn't as pleased with the content of this one.
Published 4 months ago by baking fool
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for short reads
I like this - I wasn't an art major, but have always been interested in art & artists. So, these stories and little snippets are new to me. Read more
Published on March 16, 2011 by Lola092563
1.0 out of 5 stars
badly-written, badly organized
This is a strange little book, apparently designed for people with ADD who are more used to busy website pages than to traditional books. Read more
Published on March 5, 2011 by adorian
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fun record of art history.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I did know a lot of the information already (I minored in Art History and teach high school art) it's kind of nice to have all of this fun information... Read more
Published on January 4, 2011 by mirogljm
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very assumptive
The author doesn't seem to be very well informed on anything more than what basic school books tell us. Read more
Published on December 12, 2010 by laughingcat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great condition on Great timing
This book in surprising came in sooner than i thought. It's was in good condition and no problems.
Published on November 9, 2010 by rtyin
3.0 out of 5 stars
artists lives
As an art student and artist for many years, I found the book enjoyable and entertaining. I feel that, even though many of the facts are not verifiable, it might be a way to keep... Read more
Published on August 24, 2010 by selainedear
3.0 out of 5 stars
Secret Lives of Great Artists is a lively and fun read book on the...
Secret Lives of the Great Artists is a sister volume to Secret Lives of Great Authors. These two books were recently published by Quirk Books. Read more
Published on September 9, 2008 by C. M Mills
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