The Riddle of the Image explores the materials and methods that lie behind the production of historic paintings. Spike Bucklow; who works as a research scientist and restorer of paintings; analyses some of the most well-known and important medieval works of art; as well as less familiar artworks; to throw new light on art production techniques that have been lost for centuries. By examining the science of the materials; as well as the techniques of medieval artists; he adds new aspects to our understanding and appreciation of these paintings; and of medieval art in general. The case studies include one of the most popular paintings in the National Gallery; London; and the altarpiece in front of which English monarchs were crowned for centuries. Many of the technical details presented here are published for the first time and some others have only been featured in exhibition catalogues and specialist academic papers. The author is internationally recognized for his work in the scientific examination of paintings and he also draws upon the work of other internationally recognized specialists. While intensive research into artistsrsquo; materials and methods has been undertaken for several decades; this book is the first intended for a general audience that examines the subject in depth.
#1826416 in eBooks 2014-08-07 2014-08-07File Name: B00MSYS03U
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Good book; full of good info; a few "buts"...By CbryceI read this on kindle over the past week...for the most part; I really enjoyed it. This book covers the decade from break-up until Johns murder. The lowlights of this book are 1. the (lack of) editing. Many typos and misspelled words; which are always a distraction and should not happen in these days of spellcheck. 2. Much info repeated within the book. Author will touch on a topic and basically tell the story; and then repeat it almost word for word in a later chapter. This happens a lot; which accounts for the length of the book.Overall; lots of info...I have read many Beatles books; and still picked up some new info; especially in the way of particular quotes made by George; for instance; and lots of details about Ringos recording career. In fact the book details the post-Beatles career of all four; almost song by song; and it did make me look up songs I had not heard before for a listen on youtube.Another annoyance; at least to me; was the constant referral to Ringo as the "Ringed One"; not just a few times; but dozens upon dozens of times.Not a bad edition to a Beatles fans collection...John fans may not love it; as John is often portayed as he probably presented himself throughout much of that decade; as a self (and Yoko) obsessed paranoid and downright mean jerk. None of the four are portrayed in any fawning way; which is good; they are shown with all of their tempers and addictions (Ringo; at one point; George) conceit and egos (Paul and John) etc...only Ringo manages to pass through this decade with the love and support of the other three at all times; which is a testament to his character; as none of them made it easy.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Great Read for Beatle Fanatics!By That Old ChestnutThis book is jam-packed with enough post-Fab minutia to make even the most hardcore fan say; at least several times; "I didnt know that!" Yes; several stories are told multiple times; sometimes in adjacent chapters; but this makes it a helpful reference if one is just dipping into the book for specific subject matter and not reading it from cover to cover. My biggest complaint is with the Kindle version; which apparently received ZERO proof reading before being distributed. The ebook is riddled with misspellings; formatting and punctuation errors. That having been said; these errors dont make the book unreadable; and they are well worth navigating so as to mine the wealth of information found within the electrons. So; yes; I recommend it; as well as the prequel tome "Fab Four Faq". Youll love it...yeah; yeah; yeah!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Details Are Great. Nicknames? Not So Much...By Christopher HartleyProvides some very valuable details for Beatles fans looking to fill in the gaps of John; Paul; George; and Ringos activities from 1970-1980. Two drawbacks: First; this book; like far too many Beatles biographies; is a little too smitten with McCartney (and is much too dismissive of Lennon) for its own good. Second; the author is also a little too fond of cutesy nicknames like "Richie Snare" and "George Harrisong." They tend to grate after a while. Otherwise; a good read.
