The Private Life of a Masterpiece

If you have ever wondered what makes a piece of art a masterpiece, then Monica Bohm-Duchen's The Private Life of a Masterpiece is the perfect place to start. Bohm-Duchen sets out to look at eight "extremely famous works of Western art and examine them in detail from as many angles as possible," exploring "their origins, evolution and context, but also looking at their rich and varied afterlife." The result is a lavishly illustrated account of Michelangelo's David, da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Goya's The Third of May, 1808, Manet's Olympia, van Gogh's Sunflowers, Munch's The Scream, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, and finally Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm. Obviously, in a book so broad and ambitious, there is much to dispute, particularly in the choice of images (surely Monet would have provided a better image than Manet). Bohm-Duchen also bemoans her inability to discover any iconic female artists (or non-Western images, for that matter). However, the book is excellent in covering the creation and fine detail of its eight masterpieces, and is particularly strong regarding Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Munch, if less convincing on Manet, Picasso, and Pollock. Bohm-Duchen is also less than persuasive in explaining just why these images have become so famous, but perhaps that is the most difficult question of all to answer. This book will not amaze the experts, but as a well-written approach to iconic western art works, it is hard to beat. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk