Genesis of a Painting: Picasso's "Guernica"
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Genesis of a Painting: Picasso's "Guernica" Details
Rudolf Arnheim's classic study of the creation of one of the most significant works of art of our time is now available again. Read more
Reviews
If you are interested in seeing how a painting develops from the very first idea to the final painting, then this is a good book for you. As the sub-head states, the book is "The genesis of a painting." Rudolf Arnheim illustrates the journey by showing 61 sketches that Picasso made as the painting evolved. Then, there are seven stages of the entire painting as it developed over a period of time. A fold-out reproduction of Guernica is at the end of the book. Along with the chronological presentation and explanation, Arnheim intellectualizes about each stage. I just rather look at the pictures. Published by the University of California Press, Berkely, CA, the book is in black and white. Where most of the illustrations are clear, there are some that are not due to the quality of the printing. For example, Arnheim mentions the bird in the painting, which I was unable to see in the fold-out. It's best to have a much better reproduction of the painting to look at as the narrative unfolds. In all, the book is well worth the small cost.