Description
Examining the body language displayed in works of art is a whole new way of looking at art. The gestures portrayed can reflect the mores of a particular period in history, the customs of a certain culture or a fashion in artistic styles. Exploring these with masterful subtlety, celebrated artist and anthropologist Desmond Morris uncovers fascinating insights about changing social attitudes and conventions through history and around the world, finding surprising similarities as well as now rarely used gestures.
Morris selects a number of key gestures, such as the handshake, the pointed foot, or the glove-slap, and groups them by the message they are intended to convey, such as Greetings, Status and Threats. He discusses the previously unconsidered symbolism behind these. What is understood as a gang sign today may have borne a more enigmatic meaning for Botticelli. And what did Napoleon's hidden hand really mean? Postures: Body Language in Art uniquely combines the author's expertise in both art and social science, so that even the most familiar paintings are suddenly seen in a new light.
From the ever-provocative author of The Naked Ape, a pioneering and lively exploration of the importance of body language in art
About the Author
Desmond Morris is one of the last surviving Surrealists. His first solo exhibition was held in 1948 and in 1950 he shared his first London show with Joan Miro. He has since completed over 2,500 Surrealist paintings, and eight books have been published about his work. He has also written several books, one of which - The Naked Ape - ranks among the top 100 bestsellers of all time, with over 12 million copies sold. His title The Lives of the Surrealists was published in 2018 by Thames & Hudson
Reviews
'Morris's text sparkles with wit and the reader is instantly carried away by his enthusiasm for presenting art in a completely new way' - Irish Times
Book Information
ISBN 9780500022610
Author Desmond Morris
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 1060g
Morris selects a number of key gestures, such as the handshake, the pointed foot, or the glove-slap, and groups them by the message they are intended to convey, such as Greetings, Status and Threats. He discusses the previously unconsidered symbolism behind these. What is understood as a gang sign today may have borne a more enigmatic meaning for Botticelli. And what did Napoleon's hidden hand really mean? Postures: Body Language in Art uniquely combines the author's expertise in both art and social science, so that even the most familiar paintings are suddenly seen in a new light.
From the ever-provocative author of The Naked Ape, a pioneering and lively exploration of the importance of body language in art
About the Author
Desmond Morris is one of the last surviving Surrealists. His first solo exhibition was held in 1948 and in 1950 he shared his first London show with Joan Miro. He has since completed over 2,500 Surrealist paintings, and eight books have been published about his work. He has also written several books, one of which - The Naked Ape - ranks among the top 100 bestsellers of all time, with over 12 million copies sold. His title The Lives of the Surrealists was published in 2018 by Thames & Hudson
Reviews
'Morris's text sparkles with wit and the reader is instantly carried away by his enthusiasm for presenting art in a completely new way' - Irish Times
Book Information
ISBN 9780500022610
Author Desmond Morris
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 1060g
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