3585988
9780670030262
Recently, David Hockney, often described as the "world's most popular artist," has made headlines not with his own work but with his sensational & controversial theories about how some of Western art's famous masterpieces--paintings by artists such as da Vinci, Caravaggio, Velazquez, & Van Eyck--were actually created. A chance observation of a drawing in London's National Gallery led Hockney to ask, "How was this done?" His answer led to fascinating insights into the history of art: that many of the world's most revered artists used mirrors & various optical devices--such as the camera obscura--to project images onto their canvasses & then "traced" the scenes. Hockney's radical speculations have prompted both astonishment & outrage from prominent art historians & museum directors worldwide. The debate aside, Secret Knowledge offers readers the exhilarating opportunity to see the Old Masters afresh--through the eyes of a living master. In Secret Knowledge, hundreds of paintings are reproduced in stunning color plates, & many are discussed in close & accessible detail. Hockney's own drawings & photographs illustrate how artists would have used the technology available to them in rendering their subjects. Extracts from historical & modern documents provide further evidence while correspondence between Hockney & an impressive array of international art historians, curators, & scientists details both the evolution of his theory & the furor that has erupted over it.Hockney, David is the author of 'Secret Knowledge Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters', published 0000 under ISBN 9780670030262 and ISBN 0670030260.
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