Pictures & Tears: A History of People who Have Cried in Front of PaintingsArt Does art leave you cold? And is that what it's supposed to do? Or is a painting meant to move you to tears? Hemingway was reduced to tears in the midst of a drinking bout when a painting by James Thurber caught his eye. And what's bad about that? In Pictures and Tears, art historian James Elkins tells the story of paintings that have made people cry. Drawing upon anecdotes related to individual works of art, he provides a chronicle of how people have shown emotion before works of art in the past, and a meditation on the curious tearlessness with which most people approach art in the present. Deeply personal, Pictures and Tears is a history of emotion and vulnerability, and an inquiry into the nature of art. This book is a rare and invaluable treasure for people who love art. Also includes an 8-page color insert. |
Contents
Crying at nothing but colors | 1 |
Crying no one can understand | 20 |
Crying from chromatic waves | 40 |
Crying because youve been hit by a lightning bolt | 56 |
Weeping over bluish leaves | 74 |
The ivory tower of tearlessness | 90 |
False tears over a dead bird | 108 |
Crying because time passes | 129 |
Crying at God | 166 |
Sobbing in lonely mountains | 182 |
Crying at the empty sea of faith | 196 |
Other editions - View all
Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings James Elkins Limited preview - 2005 |
Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings James Elkins Limited preview - 2005 |
Pictures & Tears: A History of People who Have Cried in Front of Paintings James Elkins No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
Andachtsbilder art historians artists artworks beautiful Bellini Bellini's painting canvases Caravaggio Caspar David Friedrich colors cried cry in front dark Diderot E. H. Gombrich Ecstasy of St eighteenth century Elkins emotional empty encounter experience explain eyes feel felt Francis Friedrich front of paintings gallery girl Greuze Greuze's happened idea images imagine James Elkins Jesus kind knew landscape letters light looking Magherini's Mark Rothko mean Meiss memories Michelangelo mind modern moved museum never novels once painter painting's passions person picture portrait prince de Ligne reactions religious Rembrandt remember Renaissance response Romantic Rothko chapel Rothko's paintings seems sense someone stand Stendhal syndrome story sure Tamara tears tell theory things thought tion told ture viewers visitors W. S. Merwin walked weeping weepy wept woman wonderful word writes wrote