In this investigative tour de force; Victor I. Stoichita untangles the history of one of the most enduring technical and symbolic challenges to beset Western artists ndash; the depiction and meanings of shadows. The representation of shadow; and especially of cast shadow; is as old as art itself; for according to classical writers art was born when the outline of a human shadow thrown onto a wall was first traced out in order to capture it in the form of a silhouette.But the history of the shadow is properly the history of light versus dark; for in addition to indicating relief and volume or the times of day; shadows can intimate subtler interior realities ndash; from states of mind to the state of the soul. According to J. C. Lavater in the 18th century; for example; it was the shadow of the face; not the face itself; that was the soulrsquo;s reflection. More recently Andy Warhol; in his Shadows canvases; and Joseph Beuys have in turn explored the idea of the shadow as the hyper-realized revelation of utter human emptiness and as the selfrsquo;s awesomely powerful Doppelgauml;nger.Stoichitarsquo;s compelling account of the shadow and Western art; which draws on texts by Renaissance artist-authors like Vasari and Cennini; folk tales; fairy tales and classical myths; works by van Eyck; Poussin; Malevich; De Chirico; Picasso and other masters; German Expressionist cinema; photography and child psychology; is a wholly original incursion into a subject that for centuries has challenged the very meaning of art as representation.
#2800328 in eBooks 2013-05-08 2013-04-15File Name: B00BLHYWZ0
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great SeriesBy Courtney NI played from Volume 2 of this book (which is geared more towards late-intermediate to early advanced students) back in the day when I was a student taking piano lessons. Now that Im a little older I have less time to practice; but I thought that I might try some slightly easier; although still interesting pieces. The songs in this book I did not find nearly as exciting as the ones in Volume 2 (particularly the songs towards the end of that book as things get more advanced;) but with that being said; I think that is to be expected- on average; more difficult songs are going to be more dramatic and exciting to play. This series does not disappoint; they have made some really great selections that are still very rewarding and enjoyable to play!The songs in this book include:Johannes Brahms: Waltz in A-flat Major; Op 39 No 15Friedrich Burgmuller: The Pearls; Op 109 No 2Frederic Chopin: Waltz in A Minor; Posthumous and Prelude in C Minor; Op 28 No 20Muzio Clementi: Grand WaltzDmitri Kabalevsky: Novelette Op 27 No 25Carl Kolling: Flying Leaves; Op 147 No 2Albert Pieczonka: TarantellaDomenico Scarlatti: Sonata in C Major K. 95 L. 358Franz Schubert: Waltz in D Major; Op 127 No 1 (from Letzte Walzer D 146)0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy R. BroemelPerfect book for intermediate pianists; of which I am one!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent pieces...great audience appeal!By LizaExcellent pieces...challenging but not too hard...appealing for both students and audiences. The book is a reasonable price; and attractive to look at..