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Giles Knox examines how El Greco, Velaìzquez, and Rembrandt, though a disparate group of artists, were connected by a new self-consciousness with respect to artistic tradition. In particular, Knox considers the relationship of these artists to the art of Renaissance Italy, and sets aside nationalist art histories in order to see the period as one of fruitful exchange. Across Europe during the seventeenth century, artists read Italian-inspired writings on art and these texts informed how they contemplated their practice. Knox demonstrates how these three artists engaged dynamically with these writings, incorporating or rejecting the theoretical premises to which they were exposed. Additionally, this study significantly expands our understanding of how paintings can activate the sense of touch. Knox discusses how Velaìzquez and Rembrandt, though in quite different ways, sought to conjure for viewers thoughts about touching that resonated directly with the subject matter they depicted.
List of contents
Acknowledgements,List of Illustrations, Introduction: Polemics of Painting Part One - Origin Stories and the Challenge of Italy, Chapter One - El Greco: Italy, Crete, Toledo, Chapter Two - From El Greco to Velázquez: Juan Bautista Maíno Part Two - Illusion, Materiality, Touch, Chapter Three - Velázquez and Inversion: Making and Illusion, Chapter Four - Vulcan, Mars, and Venus: Erotic Touch, Chapter Five - Late Rembrandt I: Texture and Skilled Touch, Chapter Six - Late Rembrandt II: Feeling with the Eyes, Conclusion, Bibliography, Index.
About the author
Giles Knox is Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at Indiana University. He has edited, together with Tanya J. Tiffany:
Velázquez Re-Examined: Theory, History, Poetry, and Theatre, Brepols, 2017. He is the author of
The Late Paintings of Velázquez: Theorizing Painterly Performance, Ashgate, 2009.
