Description
In Disarmed, Gregory Curtis gives us the "life" of this magnificent statue. Unearthed by a farmer digging for marble building blocks on the Aegean island of Melos, at the moment a young officer and amateur archaeologist happened by, the ownership of the Venus was fought over by the island's elders and their Turkish overlords. The French pressed their claim and then, outwitting other suitors, brought her to the Louvre, where she became an immediate celebrity.
A passionate researcher, Curtis shows us Europe in the early nineteenth century, caught in the grip of a classical art mania and a burgeoning romantic Hellenism. He sketches a tale of rich historical intrigue, revealing just how far the Louvre was prepared to go to prove it had the greatest classical find of the era. And how two magisterial scholars, one French and one German, battled over the statue's origins and authenticity for decades.
This is a marvellously readable and entertaining history of one of the best known artworks in the world.
About the Author
Gregory Curtis was editor of Texas Monthly from 1981 until 2000. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, Fortune, Time, and Rolling Stone. A graduate of Rice University and San Francisco State College, he currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and four children.
Book Information
ISBN 9780750938716
Author Gregory Curtis
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 740g
Dimensions(mm) 234mm * 156mm * 10mm
