A word was coined to describe the condition of people stricken with a new kind of fever when the Swiss-born artist Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) came to London in 1766. The whole world; it was said; is Angelicamad. One of the most successful women artists in history - a painter who possessed what her friend Goethe called an unbelievable and massive talent - Kauffman became the toast of Georgian England; captivating society with her portraits; mythological scenes and decorative compositions. She knew and painted poets; novelists and playwrights; collaborating with them and illustrating their work; her designs adorned the houses of the Grand Tourists she had met and painted in Italy; actors; statesmen; philosophers; kings and queen sat to her; and she was the force that launched a thousand engravings. Despite rumours of relationships with other artists (including Sir Joshua Reynolds); and an apparently bigamous and annulled first marriage to a pseudo Count; Kauffman was adopted by royalty in England and abroad as a model of social and artistic decorum. A profoundly learned artist; but one who is loved; above all; for her tender adaptations from classical antiquity and sentimental literature; a commercially successful celebrity yet also a founding member of The Royal Academy of arts; the virginal creator of sexually ambivalent beings who was one of the hardest-headed businesswomen of her age; Kauffmans life and work is full of apparent contradictions explored in this first biography in over 80 years.
#308850 in eBooks 2011-07-05 2011-07-05File Name: B004ULOJNO
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Excellent book on art theft and the life of RembrandtBy John NoonanHave you ever wondered how and why artwork is stolen. particularly masterpieces by the one and only Rembrandt. one of the most famous artists of all time? If so. this book is a must read. Its a fascinating. well-written book packed with factual accounts of famous art heists. particularly the thefts of works by Rembrandt. No detail is overlooked; the stories of the heists are recounted in great detail. making for an engrossing read. The authors. Anthony Amore and Tom Mashburg. make for a great writing team. and both are well-qualified to write a book on art theft. Amore is the director of security for the outstanding Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. site of the largest art theft in history. and Mashberg has a background in news reporting and was also famously involved in a potential recovery plot for the stolen Gardner artwork.As stated by the authors in the introduction of the book. the goal of the book is twofold: to explain the details of the thefts of Rembrandts artwork throughout history. and to educate the reader on the man who was Rembrandt. The book succeeds on both accounts.In this book. youll read about "The Takeaway Rembrandt". an oil painting by the Dutch master. aptly named because it has been pilfered and recovered a record 4 times. Youll read about "The Stockholm Blitz". a brazen theft of a Rembrandt from a museum in Sweden that involved speed boats. machine guns. and car fires. and its eventual recovery 5 years later through an undercover sting operation. The stories of art theft and recovery can be riveting. and even sometimes amusing. as the book explains.Rembrandt was a prolific artist. creating thousands of paintings. etchings. and drawings during his life. Great fine arts museums in cities around the world such as Stockholm. Boston. Worcester. Montreal. Toronto. Cincinnati. and San Francisco have had their Rembrandts stolen. Art theft is rampant and difficult to combat and causes much disappointment and frustration. since it robs the general public of great cultural works. masterpieces which we may never see again. But thankfully. much stolen art is indeed recovered and returned to its proper owner. These stories give us hope for the future that we will see other famous masterpieces recovered.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Gardner Museum Heist and Other Stolen Art Reviewed by Pat Davidson ReeBy Pat Davidson ReefStealing Rembrandts by Anthony M. amore and Tom Mashberg is the best book I have read all year dealing with stories of stolen art. I had the pleasure of hearing the author. Anthony Amore. speak at the Portland Museum of Art in Maine in person. He was dynamite and his book reads like a mystery novel. It covers many works stolen but focuses on the Gardner Museum Heist of 1991. The book also covers a Rembrandt stolen at the Worcester Museum of Art in Massachusetts and other works stolen internationally . He talks about INTERPO and the FBI and remarks that many works are stolen on holidays. Each chapter reads like a mystery novel and comes from real life experiences. I could not put the book down and have bought several copies to give away to friends.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. If you love art. you will love this bookBy NateIf you love art. you will love this book!! Anthony Amore drives home how complex and varied art theft is. And how this heinous crime strikes so deeply by depriving us of the intimate pleasure and uniqueness stolen art treasures gave us. One cannot put a price on never being able to view Rembrandts Storm on the Sea of Galalee or Vermeers "The Concert" again! Stealing Rembrandts uncovers the many motives and possibilities that make art crime so difficult to solve. Read this book. and keep your eyes out and your ears open as many art theft crimes are solved because someone. anyone. somewhere. anywhere. identifies a key clue that leads to their recovery... and helps give us all back what cannot be replaced by money... even if the theft 25 or more years old!
