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Title	:	The Power of Art
Author	:	Simon Schama
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	Anniversary Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 448 pages
Published	:	November 10th 2006 by Ecco (first published January 1st 2006)
Categories	:	Art. Nonfiction. History. Art History

The Power of Art

Simon Schama

Hardcover | Pages: 448 pages

Rating: 3.89 | 16066 Users | 109 Reviews

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"Great art has dreadful manners," Simon Schama observes wryly at the start of his epic and explosive exploration of the power, and whole point, of art. "The hushed reverence of the gallery can fool you into believing masterpieces are polite things; visions that soothe, charm and beguile, but actually they are thugs. Merciless and wily, the greatest paintings grab you in a headlock, rough up your composure, and then proceed in short order to re-arrange your sense of reality. . . ."

With the same disarming force, The Power of Art propels us on an eye-opening, breathtaking odyssey, zooming in on eight extraordinary masterpieces, from Caravaggio's David and Goliath to Picasso's Guernica. Jolting us far from the comfort zone of the hushed art gallery, Schama closes in on intense make-or-break turning points in the lives of eight great artists who, under extreme stress, created something unprecedented, altering the course of art forever.

The embattled heroes—Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso and Rothko—each in his own resolute way, faced crisis with steadfast defiance, pitting passion and conviction against scorn and short-sightedness. The masterpieces they created challenged convention, shattered complacency, shifted awareness and changed the way we look at the world.

With vivid storytelling and powerfully evocative descriptive passages, Schama explores the dynamic personalities of the artists and the spirit of the times they lived through, capturing the flamboyant theatre of bourgeois life in Amsterdam, the passion and paranoia of Revolutionary Paris, and the carnage and pathos of Civil War Spain.

Most compelling of all, The Power of Art traces the extraordinary evolution of eight "eye-popping" world-class works of art. Created in a bolt of illumination, such works "tell us something about how the world is, how it is to be inside our skins, that no more prosaic source of wisdom can deliver. And when they do that, they answer, irrefutably and majestically, the nagging question of every reluctant art-conscript . . . 'OK, OK, but what's art really for?'"

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Original Title:	Power of Art
ISBN:	0061176109 (ISBN13: 9780061176104)
Edition Language:	English

Rating Epithetical Books The Power of Art

Ratings: 3.89 From 16066 Users | 109 Reviews

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My coffee table book that is a go to read whenever I need a dose of art pleasure and a brain break from the mundane. I have been enjoying this book for years, always stimulating and a visual delight as well. Yes, his series is a great entertainment and one cant help but engage in a dialogue w him. But the book is an always available calmer pleasure.

goodreads needs to bring in a half star rating so I can give this 3.5 because it was lovely to read but not without fault. schamas passion for his subjects is engaging verging on enthralling (especially the Van Gogh and Rothko essays) but his execution is sometimes sloppy and writing is clouded by pretentiousness that seems ill suited to his aims

I got a copy of this book through ILL and with the book open I watched the BBC presentation of the eight artists: Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, Turner, van Gogh, David, Picasso and Rothko not necessarily in that order but the artist's stories were presented chronologically. Amazing personalities producing stunning work. My one take away is that I am curious what van Gogh would have produced if he had lived beyond his 37 years? And was he murdered or did he commit suicide.Highly recommend that

SPELLBINDING. Three cheers for Simon Schama!!

This is a convenient vehicle for Schama, who, as much as he loves art, really likes to argue.Schama is self-aggrandizing, melodramatic, irritating and truly compelling. He injects his out-size personality into the book and it's better for it.One can certainly quibble with his choices of which pieces of art best represent turning points of art history (or according to Schama's overinflated prose, history in general) but his choices make for a lively book.The Power of Art is aimed at people like

Look, you either hate Schama or you love him. It just has to be that way- his personality, definite opinions and style are all over his work, and he makes absolutely no apologies for it. I happen to fall into the love it category. Is it "good" history? No. But it's incredibly compelling history- he tells you the kind of story that makes you want to know more about it. It sets out a rich, decadent feast, drama-ramas it up and tells you how it is. I'm more entertained watching his documentaries

a book that talks about the power and strength that art has in people is great the book ancanat me