The Passionate Sightseer

Fülszöveg

The Passionate Sightseer
Bernard Berenson
The late Bernard Berenson was renowned
as the world's foremost expert on Italian
painting and revered as a sage. During his
lifetime his villa outside Florence became a
place of pilgrimage for those who wanted to
hear him talk. They were many for Berenson
loved talk above all else.
Fortunately for us, like many another great
conversationalist, Berenson kept a diary and
The Passionate Sightseer enables us to experience
the vigour and gaiety, the spontaneity and the
creativeness that kept his listeners entranced.
When Berenson was not in his beloved villa he
travelled and these diaries record his journeys
to North Africa, Sicily and the rest of Italy
since the war. Returning to places where he had
not set foot for many years he dwells on the
grandeur of Lepcis Magna on the North African
coast, the Byzantine splendour of San Marco in
Venice, the sweeping perspective of Santa
Maria Maggiore in Rome. He sees again some
of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

The Passionate Sightseer
Bernard Berenson
The late Bernard Berenson was renowned
as the world's foremost expert on Italian
painting and revered as a sage. During his
lifetime his villa outside Florence became a
place of pilgrimage for those who wanted to
hear him talk. They were many for Berenson
loved talk above all else.
Fortunately for us, like many another great
conversationalist, Berenson kept a diary and
The Passionate Sightseer enables us to experience
the vigour and gaiety, the spontaneity and the
creativeness that kept his listeners entranced.
When Berenson was not in his beloved villa he
travelled and these diaries record his journeys
to North Africa, Sicily and the rest of Italy
since the war. Returning to places where he had
not set foot for many years he dwells on the
grandeur of Lepcis Magna on the North African
coast, the Byzantine splendour of San Marco in
Venice, the sweeping perspective of Santa
Maria Maggiore in Rome. He sees again some
of the great works of art he had helped to make
famous and reconsiders those artistic giants
Tintoretto and Michelangelo. But above all
what emerges is Berenson's intense humanity.
Looking back on a truly great life Bernard
Berenson can yet relax sufficiently to comment
with gentle humour on an officious park keeper
or a troublesome motor car. These diaries cover
the period 1947-1956. In fact they now contain
some of his last thoughts on life and art. There
is an introduction by Raymond Mortimer, for
many years one of Bernard Berenson's closest
friends.
LA wonderfully illustrated edition of Berenson's
last unpublished diaries in which almost every
work of art mentioned is reproduced in a
brilliant pa vane of illustration and text'.
Cyril Connolly in 'The Sunday Times' Vissza