The Sorcerer's Apprentice: A Memoir of Picasso, Provence, and Douglas Cooper
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: A Memoir of Picasso, Provence, and Douglas Cooper Details
Review Praise for John Richardson's A Life of Picasso"As I read it, my education simply advanced by one great step. It is like being in a clock tower when one of the big cogwheels moves forward by one notch -- a great, simple, fundamental event."-- James Fenton, Leonardo's Nephew: Essays on Art and Artists Read more About the Author JOHN RICHARDSON is the author of A Life of Picasso (3 volumes; the first volume won the 1991 Whitbread Book of the Year Award), Sacred Monsters, Sacred Masters, and books on Edouard Manet and Georges Braque. Richardson was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 2012. He died in March 2019.JED PERL is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. His previous books include Magicians and Charlatans, Antoine's Alphabet, and New Art City, which was a New York Times Notable Book and an Atlantic Book of the Year. He lives in New York City. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
This book was recommended to me by friends who work in the art world. Even though it is not available in Kindle format, I ordered the paperback and enjoyed it enormously. I knew (and know) very little about art history of this period (Picasso, Braque, Legre, etc.), but it was a fascinating look into what was going on with John Richardson, best known as the leading biographer of Picasso, as the narrator who 'lived it'. Every page bursts with rich gossip and anecdotes, it made me dizzy. The only criticism, which I had heard from others, is the lack of high quality illustrations that would have helped the reader appreciate some of the stories recounted. While just about every page does include a picture, they are tiny, and in B & W. I had my iPad with me as I read along, so I could look up many of the famous paintings pointed out by Richardson, as well as to look up many of the unforgettable and fascinating personalities mentioned (e.g., Toto Koopman, anyone?).