Customer Reviews

Symbolism (Big)

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I picked up a copy of Michael Gibson's wonderful book at the largest exhibtion of Symbolist Art a few years ago in Toronto, and found it to be an excellent and thoroughly accesible introduction and overview of this fascinating and haunting art and the period of the "fin-de-siecle". The reader from AZ wants to know if there are any "better" books on the subject-- perhaps-- Phillipe Julien's classic "bible" of Symbolist Art, THE SYMBOLISTS and the follow-up, DREAMERS OF DECADENCE. In the early '80s Rizzoli/Skira published SYMBOLISTS AND SYMBOLISM, and in the '90's, Rizzoli published THE SYMBOLIST GENERATION, and Abrams published, THE SYMBOLISTS. All of these titles are beautifully produced, lavishly illustrated hardcovers that are unfortunately hard to find (and in good condition at a good price). Mr. Gibson's book seems to be readily available (in hc and pb), and it is truly a vaulable addition to anyone's art library, or to anyone curious about this beautiful school of art.

I owned this book in hardback a number of years ago and somehow lost it (probably loaned it to a friend). I was so glad to find it again. This book has great color pictures and a wide variety of well-known (and obscure) visual Symbolist artists, with an overview of other Symbolist art as well (music, poetry). I highly recommend this book over any other on the subject. If someone knows of a better book, please let me know!

This book is fantastic! Seemingly hundreds of gorgeous paintings including lots of discriptions of the paintings and their meanings. Beyond that, the book puts the art work in historical perspective with an explanation of the life and times of the people who created the paintings.

Want to know the greatness of this work, just open to pages 94 and 95. Opposite each other on the two pages are the following: "The Angels of Night" by William Degouve de Nuncques in which "angels kiss in a ghostly, supernatural park" and "Satan's Treasures" by Jean Delville where "luxurious bodies lie sleeping among the seaweed and coral as Satan, with a dancer's agility, bestrides and takes possesion of them."

In my opinion, symbolism in art is one of the most interesting topics in the world. This book is a fitting tribute to the topic.

I am not sure who could call Pre-Raphaelite art "ugly" or other symbolist artwork. There is a small chunk of cubism in here, but that is more interesting than ugly. To me, this is another excellent Taschen book (like there are bad Taschen books out there!). It covers the Symbolist movement by geographical area. Symbolism in general is a dark romantic, gothic movement, where many literary and mythological figures are represented, usually in paint. It was a reaction to the grimy realness of the artistic movements before. So most of the artwork in this book is very beautiful and where it isn't, it is because it is a painting of a Minotaur or Cyclops. But still, it is very well done art. Those who don't get the art movement can look at paintings of pretty girls, which there are many. Plus, the gracefulness of the Art Nouveau style. Blake is in here too, well, anyone who is anyone in this period of art. I love Symbolism art and poetry because it deals with dreams and having a vivid imagination, which I think is needed in this modern world. I highly recommend this book. It is a good price for a large hardcover book of art. Each geographical area's art is well explained. My only confusion is that I thought the model for the painting Venus Verticordia was May Morris, not her mom. And the author says the Venus is standing between dying and living flowers, with both an arrow for death and a golden apple in her hands for life. I always thought the roses were all alive and the arrow was a symbol of Cupid. To each their own opinion, I guess. But I would read other symbolism books along with this one to get different opinions of what the artwork means. Great book for the price. Especially since I got it at a charity book sale for a buck! Even under $12 is great though!

This is a good book covering many pictures. The text does not dominate so much. There is also more width to it, as it covers important parts of the world art scene. I am no expert, i am more of an explorer into art, and i greatly appreciate this book, because it gives a taste of many different artists. Nice one!

Modern Art has often been understood as a progression from (somewhere, roughly around) the slashing strokes of Frans Hals, to the atmospheres of Turner and Monet, to the Fauves, to Matisse's dissolution of perspective, exacerbated by the Cubists, and ultimately to the abstract expressionists, with Dada as the inflection point to complete and utter nihilism. Towering, arbitrary, disassociative works, archly typified by Barnett Newmann, were the logical conclusion of that reduction.

Compared to that march of 'progress', Symbolism might seem recidivist or quaint at first sight, for its naturalism and pagan spirituality. Symbolism, Michael Gibson explains, is related in part to the Arts and Crafts movement, but also to Pre-Raphaelism, to the last vestiges of Catholicism in rural France, Art Nouveau, and mysticism, with a home in the music of the late Romantics.

And yet even with its emphasis on natural beauty and radiance, the disassociation is already evident in images of Ophelia, cemeteries, and abandoned idylls. People can't interact and are reduced to the decorative plane. The irony was that even in naturalism and escapism, artists were bumping up against issues of disassociation, like other currents of Modern Art.

To my mind, the Symbolist aesthetic finds its way into the late 20th century through rock music. This too was an art of long hair, physical beauty, and fantasy. For reviving this Symbolic/Romantic aesthetic and celebrating it with a book, Michael Gibson has contributed something valuable to art historiography.

a great investment.227 pages of full color reproductions plus 20 pages of biographies.a great history of a great movement at a great price.the paper is smooth,glossy,wonderful.what a bargain what a price.

"Symbolism" is a coffee table book showing (mostly ugly) art from the latter half of the 19th century. However, the book never really answers the question: What exactly *is* Symbolism?

After hundreds of pages of pseudo-erudition, I'm still not any wiser than before reading the book. There seems to be a total disconnect between the text and the paintings analyzed, nor do the works of art seem to have much in common with each other. And what on earth are the Pre-Raphaelites doing in this volume? Were they Symbolists? Nor do I understand the difference between Symbolism and Modernism, except that the artwork of the latter is even uglier.

If you want a colourful volume of ugly, incomprehensible art, I'm sure you are going to like "Symbolism". Otherwise, you might as well skip this one.