Pictures and Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings

Pictures And Tears: A History Of People Who Have Cried In Front Of Paintings by James Elkins eBook - August 2, 2005 ISBN-13: 9780415937139 ISBN-10: 0415937132 Does art leave you cold? And is that what it's supposed to do? Or is a painting meant to move you to tears? Hemingway was reduced to tears in the midst of a drinking bout when a painting by James Thurber caught his eye. And what's bad about that? In Pictures and Tears , art historian James Elkins tells the story of paintings that have made people cry. Drawing upon anecdotes related to individual works of art, he provides a chronicle of how people have shown emotion before works of art in the past, and a meditation on the curious tearlessness with which most people approach art in the present. Deeply personal, Pictures and Tears is a history of emotion and vulnerability, and an inquiry into the nature of art. This book is a rare and invaluable treasure for people who love art.