From the winner of the Booker Prize: A ravishing book that opens a window into the lives; designs; and passions of Mariano Fortuny and William Morris; two remarkable artists who themselves are passions of the writer A. S. Byatt. Born a generation apart in the mid-1800s; Fortuny and Morris were seeming opposites: Fortuny a Spanish aristocrat thrilled by the sun-baked cultures of Crete and Knossos; Morris a member of the British bourgeoisie; enthralled by Nordic myths. Through their revolutionary inventions and textiles; both men inspired a new variety of art that is as striking today as when it was first conceived. In this elegant meditation; Byatt traces their genius right to the source.Fortunyrsquo;s Palazzo Pesaro Orfei in Venice is a warren of dark spaces imbued with the rich hues of Asia. In his attic workshop; Fortuny created intricate designs from glowing silks and velvets; in the palazzo he found ldquo;happiness in a glittering cavernrdquo; alongside the French model who became his wife and collaborator; including on the famous ldquo;Delphosrdquo; dressmdash;a flowing; pleated gown that evoked the era of classical Greece. Morrisrsquo;s Red House outside London; with its Gothic turrets and secret gardens; helped inspire his stunning floral and geometric patterns; it likewise represented a coming together of life and art. But it was a ldquo;sweet simple old placerdquo; called Kelmscott Manor in the countryside that he loved bestmdash;even when it became the setting for his wifersquo;s love affair with the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.Generously illustrated with the artistsrsquo; beautiful designsmdash;pomegranates and acanthus; peacock and vinemdash;among other aspects of their worlds; this marvel-filled book brings the visions and ideas of Fortuny and Morris to vivid life.From the Hardcover edition.
#2003830 in eBooks 2015-11-24 2015-11-24File Name: B017N51FHG
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Voices of Our PeopleBy Robert E. HunterThis was one of the excellent products of the Depression-era writerss project -- vices of "ameerage" Americans. and never to be recaptured in any ther way.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fresh in todays economic climateBy Loren TompkinsThis book was originally published in 1980. but two things make it very meaningful in 2009. First. there is an obvious similarity between the stories of these persons who lived through the Great Depression and families caught up in todays chaos. When allowances are made for differences in technology. many of these persons displaced in the 30s could be people in similar situations speaking today. The second thing that is thought provoking is the continuity between what happened 75 years ago and what is happening today.The book is a very good read--excellent stories and quite well edited.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A True Blast from the 1930s PastBy Laura JThis is a fantastic collection of true vignettes dating from the 1930s. As someone who grew up in the 70s. I am intrigued and fascinated by descriptions from the days of the Great Depression. What makes this book so great is that these are actual descriptions from the 30s...not rehashed remembrances from the distant past. Thanks to the WPA program. and the meticulous detailing of Ann Banks. these stories are not lost to the ages. A must for any history buff.
