- A selection of the last paintings of 30 of the greatest artists- Not
the last painting - as that is often uncertain - but several carefully
selected works these artists have made close the end of their lives- 30
intriguing and compelling artist biographies- Includes a wide range of
artists, from Giotto and Van Eyck, to Kahlo, Hopper and Picasso-
Includes interesting biographical information, fragments from rarely
seen letters and testimonialsAn intense focus on the late and final work
of great painters has become a striking trend in recent years.
Exhibitions have been devoted to 'the Late' Raphael, Tintoretto,
Rembrandt, Goya, Turner, Manet, Gauguin, Monet, Matisse and Pollock and
fresh research has been carried out into the work these artists produced
in the twilight of their careers. This has led in many cases to
surprising discoveries and a renewed appreciation of the late work.The
Final Painting collects these fresh insights into 30 of the world's
greatest painters and their last works in a highly readable book,
beginning with Jan van Eyck and ending with Pablo Picasso. Besides the
painters mentioned already, it includes Bellini, Titian, Caravaggio, El
Greco, Rubens, Artemisia Gentileschi, Cézanne, Klimt, Renoir,
Modigliani, Munch, Mondrian, Kahlo and Hopper. Persistent myths and
clichés are challenged: Van Gogh was not the solitary figure as so often
suggested: the story behind Raphael's celebrated La Fornarina was made
up in the 19th century; the elderly Tintoretto did not paint many of his
huge late canvases single-handedly; and Manet's last works are much more
than the paintings of a terminal patient.
