Raphael was the artist who most closely resembled Pheidias. The Greeks said that the latter invented nothing; rather; he carried every kind of art invented by his forerunners to such a pitch of perfection that he achieved pure and perfect harmony. Those words; ldquo;pure and perfect harmony;rdquo; express; in fact; better than any others what Raphael brought to Italian art. From Perugino; he gathered all the weak grace and gentility of the Umbrian School; he acquired strength and certainty in Florence; and he created a style based on the fusion of Leonardos and Michelangelos lessons under the light of his own noble spirit. His compositions on the traditional theme of the Virgin and Child seemed intensely novel to his contemporaries; and only their time-honoured glory prevents us now from perceiving their originality. He has an even more magnificent claim in the composition and realisation of those frescos with which; from 1509; he adorned the Stanze and the Loggia at the Vatican. The sublime; which Michelangelo attained by his ardour and passion; Raphael attained by the sovereign balance of intelligence and sensibility. One of his masterpieces; The School of Athens; was created by genius: the multiple detail; the portrait heads; the suppleness of gesture; the ease of composition; the life circulating everywhere within the light are his most admirable and identifiable traits.
#3736433 in eBooks 2014-01-07 2014-01-07File Name: B00IODLIYW
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Enjoyable; well-researched and beautiful to look at!By Glenn H. MayI have been coming to New Orleans off and on for over a decade. I soon started taking tours to find out more and the more I learned the more I wanted to know. I am not much of a reader so I have resisted delving into lengthy volumes of history. I much prefer to hear the storys of the city history served up to me in a clear well-researched and organized (at least as organized as the chaotic history of the city will allow) fashion. Sally Ashers book is enjoyable to read; well-researched and beautiful to look at. The photographs are beautiful and sometimes haunting.Walking the aisles of New Orleans most famous cemeteries can be at once inspirational and daunting. Even a well-read history buff can be over whelmed at the shear number and diversity of names and dates on the tombs. The tombs themselves can be majestic and ornate or reduced to rubble because of neglect. The physical condition of these monuments and the juxtaposition of family tombs and various social society tombs makes it difficult to process and associate these stone monuments with the history of the city. By focusing her research on accurately and respectably telling the stories of the people buried in the tombs Asher has brought much needed relevance and perspective. The book contains excellent and artistic photographs that further underscore Ashers reverence and respect for the people she brings to life again. With over 500 hundred footnotes she provides us a road map to follow if we are interested in learning more. Detailed directions to help find each tomb are included along each story.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Impeccably researched; highly informative; incredibly entertainingBy Mariana OrtegaI have been a frequent visitor to New Orleans for over 17 years and have made many trips to the famed St. Louis Cemeteries - and I still learned new things from this book! What Ms. Asher has done is create a touchstone of knowledge for these landmarks that both locals and tourists can use as a thoroughly compelling guide for navigating the obscure and mysterious tales behind the tombstones. The remains that rest in the St. Louis Cemeteries weave a narrative of the city from its founding to the present day; and the author has selected the most intriguing stories to recount here; along with providing the specific tomb location for each. This makes Stories from the St. Louis Cemeteries not only an enjoyably engrossing read; but also a literary "walking map" of the people and events who shaped the citys colorful history.I cant believe how much Id overlooked on previous visits to New Orleans! After reading this book; I immediately made a list of sites within the three cemeteries that I plan to pay my respects to on my next visit. Whether youre a history buff or fascinated with the macabre; a native New Orleanian or simply a fan of the citys culture; buying - and reading - this book is money and time well spent.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy DebrajI bought this book as a research resource and it fulfills that purpose perfectly.
