|
|
|
|
|
On Ugliness
Written by Umberto Eco
Pub Date: October 2007
Format: Hardcover
Category: Art - History
US Price: $45.00
CAN Price: $57.00
ISBN: 978-0-8478-2986-6 (0-8478-2986-3)
Publisher: Rizzoli
Trim Size: 6-3/4 x 9-1/3
|
|
|
|
|
About this Book
In the mold of his acclaimed History of Beauty, renowned cultural critic Umberto Eco’s On Ugliness is an exploration of the monstrous and the repellant in visual culture and the arts. What is the voyeuristic impulse behind our attraction to the gruesome and the horrible? Where does the magnetic appeal of the sordid and the scandalous come from? Is ugliness also in the eye of the beholder? Eco’s encyclopedic knowledge and captivating storytelling skills combine in this ingenious study of the Ugly, revealing that what we often shield ourselves from and shun in everyday life is what we’re most attracted to subliminally. Topics range from Milton’s Satan to Goethe’s Mephistopheles; from witchcraft and medieval torture tactics to martyrs, hermits, and penitents; from lunar births and disemboweled corpses to mythic monsters and sideshow freaks; and from Decadentism and picturesque ugliness to the tacky, kitsch, and camp, and the aesthetics of excess and vice. With abundant examples of painting and sculpture ranging from ancient Greek amphorae to Bosch, Brueghel, and Goya among others, and with quotations from the most celebrated writers and philosophers of each age, this provocative discussion explores in-depth the concepts of evil, depravity, and darkness in art and literature.
Praise
“Most art books warrant a look and, perhaps, a place on your coffee table; this perversely compelling work is meant to be read.” ~Details
“…visually dazzling and intellectually provocative…Eco’s choices are superb…” ~Publisher’s Weekly
“On Ugliness provides a wealth of information for more casual readers as well as for those hoping to delve further into this subject.” ~Choice Magazine
About the Author
Umberto Eco is a world-renowned writer of fiction, essays, and academic treatises and is undoubtedly one of the finest authors of our time. Among his best-selling novels are The Name of the Rose, Foucault’s Pendulum, The Island of the Day Before, and Baudolino.
|
|
|
