Modern Painting

Moore, George, 1852-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 440K words
Chapters: 44

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Modern Painting by George MooreAuthor: Moore, George, 1852-1933,Language: English, Class: ND: Fine Arts: Painting, Release Date: May 1, 2005

Editor's review

George Moore was a major figure in late nineteenth-century British literature and art criticism. Modern Painting is not an ordinary picture-album guide but a critical text in which a writer intervenes in painting debates with keen sensibility. Its value lies in placing paintings back in the context of viewing experience and period taste; its language carries the ease and wit of late Victorian prose, letting readers see how critics of the time understood the still-forming concept of "modern." For today's readers it is more a firsthand record of art-taste history: one need not agree with its judgments, but can use it to practice describing pictures and finding reasons for aesthetic preferences. The discussion leans toward impressions and judgments rather than systematic art history, making it suitable as further reading rather than an introductory textbook. The English original is not long; read it chapter by chapter on the commute or before bed, and look up unfamiliar painters as you go to lower the threshold noticeably.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of late nineteenth-century European art criticism
Literature lovers who want to see the writer-critic approach to art
Advanced English learners who need original English material for close reading

Not a good fit for

Chinese-language beginners seeking a systematic art history textbook or painter chronologies
Readers of large picture books expecting high-resolution plates with work-by-work commentary

Reading tips

Read a chapter straight through, mark unfamiliar painters' names, then look up their backgrounds and reread
Copy the judgmental sentences into short notes and compare them with your own first impressions of paintings
Read a small section each night before bed, keep a slow pace, and attend to the author's wording and tone

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for art lovers with no background?

Not really for complete beginners. It is not an introductory book that explains movements and techniques along a timeline, but critical writing with strong personal judgments. Without any background in nineteenth-century European painting, understanding why the author praises or criticizes certain painters will be difficult. Reading a concise art history first will make it more rewarding.

Why recommend reading the English original?

The available edition is a Project Gutenberg English ebook, and the language itself is part of the reading experience. The author's sentence patterns and word choices carry a period style; reading the original lets you feel the critical tone and rhetorical wit directly, which translations cannot fully convey. Slower English readers can proceed chapter by chapter without rushing.

Should I look at pictures while reading this book?

Yes, it is advisable. The book discusses specific painters and paintings; with images of the works at hand, you can check whether your viewing matches the author's description and judge whether the criticism is convincing. You need not be exhaustive—just find a few representative works by painters mentioned repeatedly.

Comments

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About the author

Moore, George, 1852-1933 Author

George Moore (1852–1933) was an Irish writer. The library holds 17 of his works, commonly classified under inspirational and personal growth. His major works include the novels Esther Waters, Evelyn Innes and A Mummer's Wife, the short-story collection The Untilled Field, and such books as Confessions of a Young Man, Memoirs of My Dead Life and The Brook Kerith. His fiction tends to focus on the emotional, marital and personal struggles of ordinary people, written with delicate restraint and a realistic attention to inner life; his autobiographical works candidly recall his own experiences and literary acquaintances. Moore occupies a place in the transition of Irish literature from the Victorian tradition toward modernism, and his work has influenced later writers. Public information is limited, and the above is a brief overview based only on the works held in the library.