Art historians have long speculated on how Vermeer achieved the uncanny mixture of detached precision; compositional repose; and perspective accuracy that have drawn many to describe his work as "photographic." Indeed; many wonder if Vermeer employed a camera obscura; a primitive form of camera; to enhance his realistic effects? In Vermeers Camera; Philip Steadman traces the development of the camera obscura--first described by Leonaro da Vinci--weighs the arguments that scholars have made for and against Vermeers use of the camera; and offers a fascinating examination of the paintings themselves and what they alone can tell us of Vermeers technique. Vermeer left no record of his method and indeed we know almost nothing of the man nor of how he worked. But by a close and illuminating study of the paintings Steadman concludes that Vermeer did use the camera obscura and shows how the inherent defects in this primitive device enabled Vermeer to achieve some remarkable effects--the slight blurring of image; the absence of sharp lines; the peculiar illusion not of closeness but of distance in the domestic scenes. Steadman argues that the use of the camera also explains some previously unexplainable qualities of Vermeers art; such as the absence of conventional drawing; the pattern of underpainting in areas of pure tone; the pervasive feeling of reticence that suffuses his canvases; and the almost magical sense that Vermeer is painting not objects but light itself. Drawing on a wealth of Vermeer research and displaying an extraordinary sensitivity to the subtleties of the work itself; Philip Steadman offers in Vermeers Camera a fresh perspective on some of the most enchanting paintings ever created.
#2141190 in eBooks 2009-12-22 2009-12-22File Name: B0033SA524
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. InterestingBy Martina A. NicollsAnton Chekhov: A Brotherrsquo;s Memoir (1933. English version 2010) is the biography of Russian physician and author. most noted for his short stories. The third of six children (1869-1904). the memoir is written by the youngest child. Mikhail (1865-1936). Mikhail was 68 years old when he commenced the memoir. originally called Around Chekhov: Encounters and Impressions. Like his famous brother. Mikhail was also a writer of short stories. but in addition he wrote theatre reviews and childrenrsquo;s tales. as well as translating texts (nicknamed ldquo;English Grammarrdquo;).Born in Taganrog. southern Russia. Anton moved to Moscow in 1879. three years after his family. to join his two eldest brothers. Alexander and Nikolay. who were studying at University. and the rest of the family due to financial problems. Their poor financial situation defined their life in Moscow. where Anton assumed responsibility for supporting his family. Here the brothers. and Nikolay an illustrator. submitted articles to literary magazines while Anton completed his medical studies.Nikolayrsquo;s death from consumption (tuberculosis) at 31 years of age (1858-1889) affected Anton deeply ndash; it was the first death in the family ndash; after which he wrote stories ldquo;at a feverish pacerdquo; and became more involved with the theatre. In 1890 he travelled for two months across Siberia to Sakhalin Island. a penal colony in the north Pacific. where he stayed for three months interviewing ldquo;thousands of peoplerdquo; for his book. which was published five years later. On his return home he travelled via Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). which he described as ldquo;paradise on earth.rdquo; The following year he travelled widely: to Vienna (Austria). Nice (France). Monte Carlo (Monaco). Paris and Biarritz (France). Naples and Venice (Italy).Anton bought a country property in 1892. called Melikhovo. ldquo;575 acres of house. forest. farmland. and meadowsrdquo; about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Moscow. housing the whole family (parents. aunts. brothers and sisters) as well as boarders and visitors. But from 1884 he had been getting progressively worse bouts of coughing and ruptured lungs. leading to tuberculosis. He sought better climates for his health. and in 1898 he uprooted his family and bought a small property in Yalta in southern Russia.In a trip to Moscow in 1901. Anton surprised his family by marrying Olga Knipper when he was 41 years old. Mikhail writes. ldquo;I did not even know who his bride was.rdquo; Mikhail never saw Anton again. Anton never returned to his southern property. and he died three years later in Badenweiler. Germany. at 44 years old.Mikhail writes of Antonrsquo;s humour. his pranks. his love of French literature and writer Victor Hugo. and that he ldquo;never read his pieces to anyone and criticized authors who did.rdquo; The village. Babkino. played an important role in the development of Antonrsquo;s talent. for it was ldquo;full of interesting people.rdquo; Intermittently throughout the memoir readers are briefly told of Antonrsquo;s inspirations for his short stories. For example. Antonrsquo;s story ldquo;Happinessrdquo; was influenced by their nannyrsquo;s stories. He modelled the character of Rassudina in ldquo;Three Yearsrdquo; after his sisterrsquo;s girlfriend who became an astronomer. And the story ldquo;The Death of a Government Officialrdquo; really happened at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.Writing and story telling is a family trait for the Chekhovs. Hence this memoir is well written. with clearly defined periods in Antonrsquo;s life. Occasionally. and briefly. Mikhail gets distracted and writes of his own life during times when he is not living with his brother. And the final three years of Antonrsquo;s life after his sudden marriage is left unrevealed. However. it is an interesting memoir. not only of Anton Chekhov. but also of a close family that lived together and supported each other throughout periods of debt. poverty. illness. and famine. as well as literary failures and ultimate successes.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Great insights into Chekhovs personalityBy Paul E. RichardsonThis wonderful translation (by Eugene Alper) of a hundred-year-old biography by Anton Pavlovichs younger brother. secretary and assistant. offers uncommon first-hand insight into family dynamics and history as well as background on some of Chekhovs literary works. But the perspective of a sibling. the brother of a famous man. is intriguing enough in its own right. and one cannot help grazing this fertile biography in search of telling asides and tender criticisms. which are plentiful. It helps that Mikhail has something of his brothers cutting eye for detail. and that he does not stint on his opinions. be it on an ill-chosen summer cottage or on "The Beaushy;tiful Lika" who long sought the writers affection.As reviewed in Russian Life Jan/Feb 2010 issue.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Chekhov LiteBy Christian SchlectFor fans of Anton Chekhov this would be an excellent purchase. To my mind it is a memoir better read after you have some prior exposure to the great Russian writers life and works.Literary detectives will discover explanations given by this author/brother to certain characters and scenes in Anton Chekhovs many stories.
