What happens when we look at a painting? What do we think about? What do we imagine? How can we explain, even to ourselves, what we see or think we see? And how can art historians interpret with any seriousness what they observe? This title deals with these questions.
"Arasse was a terrific writer with a brilliant mind and this book is redolent with wit and intellectual authority. He has a wonderful way of asking questions, of taking the reader with him on his intellectual journey. In this case each journey begins with the problem posed by a single prominent old-master painting, and ranges widely from there across interpretive and historical concerns. The informal, speculative, and performative quality of Arasse's voice in these pages will help assure the book's wide appeal and accessibility."--Marc Gotlieb, Williams College
"In this publication of work by the eminent late art historian Arasse, the author searches for the meaning of master paintings. He discusses details of work that are often overlooked, and thus provides descriptions of things usually not seen."
