Art Books for Art Lovers
With long days (and very little reason to leave the house), I decided to explore some books on my TBR list, as well as re-visit some old favorites. One common thread is the impact art has, not only on our personality, but also on our psychological makeup.
As an art lover myself, I understand how an image can captivate your emotions, but these books take it to the next level.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel follows a young boy’s journey through adolescence and early adulthood, exploring how a single traumatic event when he was in elementary school leads to a downward emotional, physical and psychological spiral.
I won’t give away the twist, but I’ll leave you with this: art isn’t always what it seems, so be cautious about how you let it affect your life.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Speaking of art that consumes you, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, the portrait doesn’t only capture the subject’s likeness, it captures the subject’s soul. As Dorian grows older, his picture ages while he appears ageless. Kept hidden through the decades, the picture provides a representation of not only Dorian’s physical decay, but also his moral corruption.
It’s an interesting way to tell a pretty bleak story, and if nothing else, it makes the case for aging gracefully, both inside and out.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Without giving away spoilers, this book explores the relationship between a psychologist and his patient (a convicted murderer and artist), and the lines that are crossed as he attempts to treat her.
The psychologist is convinced that the artist, having not spoken a word since her husband’s death, is communicating via her final painting, Alcestis. This novel shows how a painting can truly just be a painting… until we project our own preconceived notions and judgments upon it.
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Apparently Dutch artists are effective literary muses! Johannes Vermeer’s painting Girl with a Pearl Earring inspired this novel of the same name. (His contemporary, Carel Fabritius, painted The Goldfinch, the subject of the novel of the same name.)
Similar to the Mona Lisa, there is much speculation surrounding the subject of the girl in the portrait. The author attempts to unravel some of the mystery in her novel, providing a possibly fictionalized account of the protagonist/subject, and her relationship with the artist.
This book illustrates the challenges that women of various classes and backgrounds have in claiming their agency in a time before feminism.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
This isn’t an art book necessarily, but one of the main characters is an innovative photographic artist, and the author uses her work to reveal plot twists and turns. The idea that photography captures what they eye can’t see or the mind can’t perceive is an old trope, but an effective one. Through the photographer’s work, the author reveals to us what the photographer even refuses to reveal to herself.
#onlyjoy