Art in fiction

[saliotthomas]

...or non fiction but not biographie.

Some novels have interesting artistes characteres and there analysis of the lives and processe of creation give a vivid insight on about it.

Just from some i can remember now.

Asylium By Patrick McGrath was enlighting is the psychological tendancies to pathologie that goes along with artistic work. From the isolation and searching that goes along with creation, the sensitivity unbalancing and the difficulty to a normal social life.
It single it out very clearly and i was a great help to me having it expressed so simply.

Anna Karenina By Tolstoy has a great section about painting and failure. Maybe one of the best analysis i ever read.

The Sea by Banville about Bonnard. It has been a while but i remember interesting parts.

Painting is to love again by Henry Miller in a non foction but light and, if a lot is a bit of an act ,some good reflexion there.

The Looser by Thomas Bernhard is more about genius and it's devastating and myterious powers. About revelation of one quality and status in creation (well interpretation has it stand there)

The Portrait of dorian grey so we can get it over ,thank you.

I missed a lot but i'll be curious to hear what it will bring from you.

[Raphael Lambach]

Well, works of art are constantly cited on novels and the ones you've said are the most important - imo. By the way, in spite of I love "The Picture of Dorian Gray" I don't think it's correct to be cited in this thread, it'd better it's omited from here, now.

[Heteronym]

E?a de Queiroz has a wonderful artist in The Tragedy of the Street of Flowers. He's an artist full of himself, who never finishes anything; but his mind is full of plans to completely revolutionise art. He's always seeking something new, so he's always changing styles and interests. He also bemoans the status of the artist in modern times, and longs for a return to the ancient times when artists were revered by Popes and Kings, instead of being cheap hired hands for the stupid bourgeoisie. he also refuses to leave his studio to go to a client's house and insists that his clients come to his studio.

It's super-hilarious.

[saliotthomas]

E?a de Queiroz has a wonderful artist in The Tragedy of the Street of Flowers. .

Thanks, this seems very good.

I remember now The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato involved an artiste (and a murder) if my memory held.

[Raphael Lambach]

The Brazilian writer ?rico Ver?ssimo had a epic novel called "Time and Wind". The second volume of his saga has the singular title "The Portrait" - a reference to a portrait make of doctor Rodrigo. There's a deeply analysis of it and the Rodrigo's body and face. I'm not sure if exist an English version of this book, but -.

The Time and The Wind
Volume One - The Continent
Volume Two - The Portrait
Volume Three - The Archipelago

[saliotthomas]

Interesting, never heard of him, seem they are translated.
It would be a miracle if i find them though, maybe in France.

The link to the man Erico Verissimo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Raphael Lambach]

Interesting, never heard of him, seem they are translated.
It would be a miracle if i find them though, maybe in France.

The link to the man Erico Verissimo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's possible to find in Amazon - but not new:
Amazon.com: Time and the Wind. (9780837121116): Erico Verissimo: Books

And:
Amazon.com: Erico Verissimo: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Discussions

[learna]

I have mention of these books before:
"Goya" by Feihtvanger,
"Van Gogh's Life" by Perruchoud.
Van Gogh's letters are incredible interesting.
Maybe, "Girl with a lizard" by Bernhard Schlink would be added to the list. This story does not analyse the process of creation, but there is a description of a painting.

[Eva]

"What's Bred in Bone" by Robertson Davies. Art and art forgery are amongst the main themes. Splendid novel.

[lenz]

Just read The Town of N by Leonid Dobychin, Soviet Russian 1935. An important motif of the novel is a painting on the biblical subject of "Noli me tangere" - Mary Magdelene approaches Jesus as he steps out of the cave and he says "Don't touch me." No one knows why he said that and the protagonist in the novel, a boy (this is a bildungsroman) isn't sure why he is so attracted to the picture. It makes him imagine a girl he thinks he's in love with in the same posture as the magdelene and himself, like Jesus, being stand-offish. I think the painting he describes is the Titian, but (returned book to library so can't check) perhaps the editor's note said it was by a Russian painter. It's a very interesting short novel full of all sorts of references to other Russian fiction, especially Gogol's Dead Souls. Dobychin was apparently driven to suicide by harassment from Stalin's henchmen.

[learna]

Just read The Town of N by Leonid Dobychin, Soviet Russian 1935. An important motif of the novel is a painting on the biblical subject of "Noli me tangere" - Mary Magdelene approaches Jesus as he steps out of the cave and he says "Don't touch me." No one knows why he said that and the protagonist in the novel, a boy (this is a bildungsroman) isn't sure why he is so attracted to the picture. It makes him imagine a girl he thinks he's in love with in the same posture as the magdelene and himself, like Jesus, being stand-offish. I think the painting he describes is the Titian, but (returned book to library so can't check) perhaps the editor's note said it was by a Russian painter. It's a very interesting short novel full of all sorts of references to other Russian fiction, especially Gogol's Dead Souls. Dobychin was apparently driven to suicide by harassment from Stalin's henchmen.

Lenz, as I have not read "The Town of N" yet I can only have a hunch taking into acount some hints. Maybe it is "Явление Христа Марии Магдалине после Воскресения", Александр Иванов:

[lenz]

Lenz, as I have not read "The Town of N" yet I can only have a hunch taking into acount some hints. Maybe it is "Явление Христа Марии Магдалине после Воскресения", Александр Иванов:

I believe you're right, Learna. This must be it. I remember the editor said that the painting was very popular in Russia because it was proof that Russia could produce art as good as that of the European Renaissance. It certainly is. My Russian isn't very good, but I think the artist's name is Alexander Ivanov - is that right?

[learna]

I believe you're right, Learna. This must be it. I remember the editor said that the painting was very popular in Russia because it was proof that Russia could produce art as good as that of the European Renaissance. It certainly is. My Russian isn't very good, but I think the artist's name is Alexander Ivanov - is that right?

You are certainly right, Lenz, - Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov, one of the greatest Russian painters.

[Raphael Lambach]

I know it will be hated here, but what d'you think about Dan Brown's books? They are always full of drawnings and work of arts.

[Mirabell]

It's a bit shocking that The Recognitions, William Gaddis' mammoth masterpiece about (renaissance) art and forgery, among many other topics, hasn't been mentioned yet.

"I was looking at the painting. Do you see what it was like [...] seeing it? [W]hen I saw it, it was one of those moments of reality, of near-recognition of reality. [...] When I saw it all of a sudden everything was freed into one recognition. [...] You don't see it in paintings because most of the time you can't see beyond a painting [...] You can't see freely very often, hardly ever, maybe seven times in a life"

[lenz]

It's a bit shocking that The Recognitions, William Gaddis' mammoth masterpiece about (renaissance) art and forgery, among many other topics, hasn't been mentioned yet.

How shocked we are that everyone hasn't read our own most memorable books!

[Mirabell]

How shocked we are that everyone hasn't read our own most memorable books!

It's one of the best books ever written. Everyone should read it.

[lenz]

How shocked we are that everyone hasn't read our own most memorable books!

I find I'm resorting to smilies lately. Maybe someone will write a novel about an artist who designs them, realises how empty his or her life is, then finds inspiration when they meet a mysterious, beautiful person [ insert several ecstatic sex scenes] who introduces them to the arcane philosophy of a certain Dan Brown. Great art and fame ensues.

[kpjayan]

Mario Vargas Llosa's "The way to Paradise" is another, based on Paul Gaguin.

[saliotthomas]

Thanks to all of ye, those recomendation did not fall into deaf hears.

A friend of mine was very enthousiatic about Gaugin correspondance do i sure will check Llosa Jayan

And William Gaddis is actively chased Marcel.

Also got Giorgio Vasari, the lives of the artists which seems to be the ultimate in the matter.

ANy other?