This book covers the period 1878-2000, offering thought provoking commentary on some 120 years of experiments in being modern, and begins with the famous court case after John Ruskin accused James Whistler of ‘flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face’. But Michael Bird does not limit his perspective to a single artist or cause per chapter. Part of the deep appeal of his writing is the range of reference across literature and art, bringing in key historical events where appropriate. He does a superb job of connecting and deftly summoning context, always seeking to illuminate the larger picture. And he stitches apt quotation through the text, returning to certain sources again and again for added effect, Henry James and Walter Sickert being just two.
Bird marshals his material elegantly and tellingly in very visual writing which nicely balances the play of ideas. There’s a memorably precise description of a Gwen John painting, for instance; and here he is on Art Nouveau:
Its defining features – seen in building façades and teapots, haute couture and cheap costume jewellery – were sinuous lines and clearly defined shapes, with a top note of erotic reverie, in which the curves and motions of young female bodies and growing plants echoed each other in a kind of mutual visual ventriloquism.
The ostensible subject of his fifth chapter is ‘Manet and the Post-Impressionists’, referring to the two exhibitions in 1910 and 1912 that changed the face of modern British art, organised by Roger Fry.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in