Recensioni
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These glorious paintings are almost overshadowed by the utterly dazzling, delicate drawings - skin tones rendered in a flush of red chalk, a fall of hair sheened in watercolor, the grooved and granitic face of the archbishop brought to life by his hooded eyes in ink and chalk, a quickly sketched hand seems to write as we watch.
Additional chapters address Holbein's other skills as a calligrapher, designer of logos and alphabets and jewels, and his expertise both in designing and painting books. The Getty is proud to own a mysterious allegorical panel of a passionate rider, long unattributed until technical analysis of the pigments, underdrawings, and even dendochronology of the wood panel helped assign it to Holbein. There are marvelous little roundel portraits four inches across, with stubbled jawlines, eyebrows, and drapery shadows elegantly detailed. The chapter texts (such as that covering Holbein's contributions to fonts and book design) are scholarly and intended for an academic audience, and we have not a single documentary scrap from Holbein himself about anything, but the curators have assembled a wonderfully rich, informative, and splendidly illustrated catalog to enhance anyone's appreciation for this remarkable artist. I for one want to go get myself a soft black velvet hat and spangle it with tiny diamonds and one elegant hat badge.
*Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I may have to buy this book just to frame the portrait of Charles de Solier, with whom I fell madly in love.*