The Artist's Soul Laid Bare X 5

joe phelan · May 1st, 2006, 04:35 PM

If you want to understand the soul of the artist where do you go? The works or the writings of the artist? Both are starting points, and ending points too. But in between there is no better place to go than to imaginative fiction written by first rate writers from their own experience as well as their friendship with painters. Eric Gibson has a list of the five best novels about the artist

1. "The Unknown Masterpiece" by Honoré de Balzac (1831).

2. "The Masterpiece" by Emile Zola (1886).

3. "The Horse's Mouth" by Joyce Cary (Harper, 1944).

4. "The Midas Consequence" by Michael Ayrton (Doubleday, 1976).

5. "The Agony and the Ecstasy" by Irving Stone (Doubleday, 1961).

http://www.opinionjournal.com/weeken.../?id=110008311

That's a good start but there must be many other stories, plays, novels, poems about artists. Anybody out there got a favorite?

da vinci · May 22nd, 2006, 03:47 AM

well i think eric gibson either missed the famous Van Gough (kinda) autobiography based on his own letters written to his brother. or he shud add a # 6 and slide all these 5 books down to accomodate that van gough's on top.

May 1st, 2006, 04:35 PM	#1
joe phelan Editor Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 55	The Artist's Soul Laid Bare X 5 If you want to understand the soul of the artist where do you go? The works or the writings of the artist? Both are starting points, and ending points too. But in between there is no better place to go than to imaginative fiction written by first rate writers from their own experience as well as their friendship with painters. Eric Gibson has a list of the five best novels about the artist 1. "The Unknown Masterpiece" by Honoré de Balzac (1831). 2. "The Masterpiece" by Emile Zola (1886). 3. "The Horse's Mouth" by Joyce Cary (Harper, 1944). 4. "The Midas Consequence" by Michael Ayrton (Doubleday, 1976). 5. "The Agony and the Ecstasy" by Irving Stone (Doubleday, 1961). http://www.opinionjournal.com/weeken.../?id=110008311 That's a good start but there must be many other stories, plays, novels, poems about artists. Anybody out there got a favorite?

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May 22nd, 2006, 03:47 AM	#2
da vinci Junior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2	well i think eric gibson either missed the famous Van Gough (kinda) autobiography based on his own letters written to his brother. or he shud add a # 6 and slide all these 5 books down to accomodate that van gough's on top.