Desde su muerte; hace 100 antilde;os; Ceacute;zanne se ha convertido en el pintor maacute;s famoso del siglo XIX. Nacioacute; en Aix-en-Provence en 1839 y el periodo maacute;s feliz de su vida fue su primera juventud en Provenza; en compantilde;iacute;a de Emile Zolaacute;. Siguiendo el ejemplo de Zolaacute;; al cumplir los veintiuacute;n antilde;os; Ceacute;zanne se marchoacute; a Pariacute;s. Durante la guerra franco-prusiana desertoacute; de la milicia; y dividioacute; su tiempo entre pintar al aire libre y estudiar. Al comerciante de arte Vollard le dijo: ldquo;Soacute;lo soy un pintor. El ingenio parisino me fastidia. Lo uacute;nico que quiero es pintar desnudos en las orillas del Arc [un riacute;o cercano a Aix]rdquo;. Animado por Renoir; uno de los primeros en apreciarlo; exhibioacute; con los impresionistas en 1874 y en 1877. Su obra fue recibida con desdeacute;n; lo que lo hirioacute; profundamente. La ambicioacute;n de Ceacute;zanne en sus propias palabras; era ldquo;hacer del impresionismo algo tan soacute;lido y durable como las pinturas de los museosrdquo;. Su objetivo era lograr algo monumental en un lenguaje moderno de tonos brillantes y vibrantes. Ceacute;zanne queriacute;a retener el color natural de un objeto y armonizarlo con las diversas influencias de luz y sombra que intentaban destruirlo; buscaba una escala de tonos que expresara la masa y el caraacute;cter de la forma. A Ceacute;zanne le gustaba pintar frutas porque se trataba de modelos pacientes y eacute;l trabajaba lentamente. No pretendiacute;a soacute;lo copiar una manzana. Manteniacute;a el color dominante y el caraacute;cter de la fruta; pero subrayaba el atractivo emocional de la forma con un conjunto de tonos ricos y concordantes. En sus pinturas de naturalezas muertas era un maestro. Sus composiciones de vegetales y frutas son verdaderamente dramaacute;ticas; tienen peso; nobleza; el estilo de las formas inmortales. Ninguacute;n otro pintor logroacute; darle a una manzana roja una conviccioacute;n tan caacute;lida; una simpatiacute;a tan genuinamente espiritual o una observacioacute;n tan prolongada. Ninguacute;n otro pintor de habilidad comparable reservoacute; sus maacute;s fuertes impulsos para las naturalezas muertas. Ceacute;zanne devolvioacute; a la pintura la preeminencia del conocimiento; la calidad maacute;s esencial de todo esfuerzo creativo. La muerte de su padre; en 1886; lo convirtioacute; en un hombre rico; pero no por eso cambioacute; su estilo de vida austero. Poco despueacute;s; Ceacute;zanne se retiroacute; de forma permanente a su propiedad en Provenza. Probablemente se tratoacute; del maacute;s solitario de los pintores de su eacute;poca. Por momentos le atacaba una peculiar melancoliacute;a; una oscura desesperanza. Se volvioacute; irascible y exigente; destruiacute;a los lienzos y los arrojaba fuera de su estudio; hacia los aacute;rboles; los abandonaba en los campos; se los daba a su hijo para que los cortara e hiciera con ellos rompecabezas o se los regalaba a la gente de Aix. A principios de siglo; cuando Vollard llegoacute; a Provenza con intenciones de adquirir todo lo que pudiera del material de Ceacute;zanne; los campesinos; que se enteraron de que un loco de Pariacute;s estaba pagando por aquellos viejos lienzos; sacaron de los graneros una considerable cantidad de naturalezas muertas y paisajes. El viejo maestro de Aix se sintioacute; abrumado por la alegriacute;a; pero el reconocimiento le llegoacute; demasiado tarde. Murioacute; en 1906 de una fiebre que contrajo mientras pintaba en la lluvia.
#4549070 in eBooks 2014-01-07 2014-01-07File Name: B00IODLNFQ
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This was an easy day and half read for meBy yioughtaThis was an easy day and half read for me. The subject matter is something that anyone reading this book would devour and adore; which is; of course; David Bowie. I appreciate that Rob Sheffield is not only a music critic; but presents himself as big a geeked out Bowie fan as any of us who read his book. This comes through with his personal anecdotes of where he was when he first learned of Bowie and first heard his voice and where he was and what he was doing when he learned of his passing. It truly is a magical and a very personal thing; for any Bowie fan to recall where they were when they laid eyes on him and how they learned he died. Sheffields love of Bowie throughout his career is something I identify with as a bit younger Bowie fan (only by 9 years; but younger nonetheless). On that note; Sheffields book is two-fold. On a personal level; his Bowie adoration and knowledge is evident and yet; from his music critics perspective; Bowies catalog; specifically his work after Lets Dance and up to The Next Day are glossed over and somewhat dismissed. It should be noted that 1993s Black Tie White Noise goes beyond Jump They Say as a song Bowie wrote about his older brothers suicide or his campy cover of Morrisseys I Know Its Going to Happen Someday (Bowie singing Morrissey singing Bowie). The album Black Tie White Noise came shortly after he married the love of his life; Iman and after the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. The album was also a chance for Bowie to re-connect with his Lets Dance producer Nile Rodgers and his Ziggy bandmate Mick Ronson; shortly before he died of cancer that. The album did receive critical acclaim as BBC proclaimed it to be "a revival of the next stage of his career" as his previous albums; Tonight and Never Let Me Down yes; commercially flopped. Instead; Sheffield glossed over this album and his follow up album Outside; other than mentioning it was a concept album which reunited him with Brian Eno. The Outside album also put Bowie back on the road as he toured in 95 with Nine Inch Nails. It was probably because of this tour and these two albums in the 90s in particular; that Bowie gained a younger fan base. Although I had been a long-time fan of Bowies work before the Outside tour; it was a huge deal for me as I got to see Bowie live; for the first and only time ever. The video for Im Afraid of Americans featured Trent Reznor; who again; appealed to people my age during that time. To not even give Reznor an honorable mention in this book (but apparently Kanye West?) is indeed insulting and disappointing. Maybe Sheffield didnt find this period of Bowie interesting or noteworthy; but this period of Bowie was highly regarded by the Gen Xers and performers of the 90s (Nirvanas cover of The Man Who Sold the World on MTV Unplugged anybody?). But again; this is just my opinion. Other than that; I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to my fellow Bowie brothers and sisters.7 of 8 people found the following review helpful. RemembranceBy tuataraIve enjoyed Sheffields articles and reviews in Rolling Stone over the years; so I wasnt surprised that I would find his tribute to Bowie just as entertaining. Its also a bitter-sweet remembrance which brought back for me memories of one of rocks most influential and varied careers. My initial introduction to Bowie; along with countless others; was my sophomore year(1972) in college when I purchased The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and was instantly hooked! Then catching-up by obtaining his 3 previous studio albums; Ive followed and bought each album on its release. Like Sheffield I was very impressed with Blackstar but then totally shocked three days later with Bowies death. As for On Bowie; Sheffield does a nice job of intertwining numerous Bowie lyrics throughout the book with his narrative. I think I got most of them; but Im sure I missed a few! Quite a few "fun facts" are revealed also. Ive always wondered if the lyric from Joni Mitchells great 1975 album(and song); The Hissing of Summer Lawns; was a Bowie reference("Diamond dog; carrying a cup and a cane..."). According to Sheffield; it was. Over all; the book is a moving tribute from not only a talented music critic but a true admirer and fan. Well done.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. He is a great fan and does provide some nice insightsBy Michael EigenSorta hard to give a review to this one. Its more of a meditation on Bowie in Rob Sheffields life. He is a great fan and does provide some nice insights. The book does allow us an avenue to mourn the loss of a larger than life figure and to frame it in a palatable context. Its not a must read but Bowie fans will feel good reading it and take comfort in knowing that he affected so many in such a positive way.
