Description
Book SynopsisMedardo Rosso (1858-1928) is one of the most original and influential figures in the history of modern art. This book offers an historically substantiated critical account of his life and work. It negotiates the competing cultural imperatives of nationalism and internationalism that shaped the European art world at the fin de siecle.
Trade Review"In placing Rosso (rather than Rodin) at the origins of modern sculpture, this book makes a bold and erudite intervention in the history of the medium. Moreover, the emphasis on the cosmopolitan nature of artistic networks in
fin-de-siècle Europe will be instructive to historians of modern art in all media." * Burlington Magazine *
“Hecker’s tour de force has been over a decade in the making. For many of us it was highly anticipated and it did not disappoint. Her painstaking research has resulted in numerous corrections and new readings that are both articulate and persuasive. She argues for the broader international significance of Rosso’s production and makes the case for his place in the lineage of modern sculpture.” * Italian Art Society *
"Hecker situates this all-too-often marginalized sculptor within the field of the international avant-garde. Often considered as either a slightly mysterious three-dimensional Impressionist or as an inspiration to movements such as Futurism, Rosso has rarely received sustained attention as a figure in his own right. Hecker makes a significant effort to counter this by placing him at the center of a key modernist concern: the tension (as suggested by the book’s title) between the momentary and the monumental. . . . eminently readable. . . this publication clearly demonstrates that a book-length study was warranted and overdue. " * caa.reviews *
"Hecker has ably overcome contradictory information and a dearth of sources to discover new data on the artist . . . a comprehensive assessment of Rosso’s sculpture in a well-sourced monograph." * 3rd Dimension: The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association Magazine *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Laying the Foundations for an Antiheroic Approach to Modern Sculpture
2. Monuments without Idols
3. “Impressionist Sculptor”? The Impossibility of Categorizing Rosso
4. Internationalism and Experimentation
5. The Artist’s Experience of Migration
6. The Shifting Viewpoint of the Outsider
7. Seeing and Being Seen: Reimagining the Encounter Among Artist, Artwork, and the Public
8. On the Move: The Quest for International Recognition
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Index
