Search results for ""Author Benedict Leca""

This beautifully illustrated volume takes a fresh look at some of the most enduring landscapes painted by Claude Monet between 1883 and 1926 in and around his garden at Giverny, some 50 miles northwest of Paris. His depiction of sites in the surrounding countryside and of iconic garden motifs such as the Japanese footbridge, water lilies, and wisterias are characterised by subtle colouring and expressive brushwork, making these paintings among the most innovative of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as some of the most beloved masterpieces of French art. Unlike many recent books on Giverny that have tended to focus on planting and garden design, 'Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection' looks at the theme of reflection in all its forms, focusing on the garden as a continuing source of inspiration for Monet, as well as a reflection of his own theories on art. Featuring 12 seminal paintings from major collections, this volume also examines Monet's paintings at Giverny in the context of contemporary developments in art and photography. A first-hand account of the garden, written in 1891 by French author and critic Octave Mirbeau, has been translated for the first time for this volume by Benedict Leca, and is illustrated with 15 historic photos of the artist and his garden. Published to accompany an exhibition at the Cincinnati Art Museum, February 4 - May 13, 2012.

Read more less

Italian Baroque painting is often discussed in terms of theatre and the creation of powerful visual spectacle through the dramatic use of light. Seventeenth-century painters pushed the limits of artistic expression to reshape the relationship between the illusionistic image and its audience with contrasting styles, new techniques, and by deploying extraordinary optical effects. Featuring some of Canada's foremost Baroque paintings, "Illuminations" examines how the functional and symbolic representation of light was the expression of a culture captivated by theatrical display. Set in the context of Italy's dynamic and international cultural capitals, "Illuminations" compares and contrasts religious, mythological, and popular imagery. Through a detailed examination of works by Nicolas Poussain, Luca Giordano, Orazio Gentileschi and Guido Reni amongst others, the book explores how 17th-century audiences were confronted with pictures that frequently broke conventions by manipulating the sources and meaning of light, while depicting all types of subjects; painters were able to transform light, controlling its role as a signifier of demeanour, emotion, or religious symbolism. The use of light coloured the historical legends and social mythologies of this extravagant world.

Read more less