Secret Knowledge (New and Expanded Edition) : Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters (Paperback)

from jcbrunner

David Hockney's book is a visual treat. The sumptuous illustrations from the 14th to the 19th century merit the price of the book. It also claims to be a work on art history, to present Hockney's finding about technological breakthroughs in painting techniques. Hockney shows that beginning in 143...

from hcubic

I first wrote about the controversial thesis of this book back in January of 2000, when my "Pick" was an article about David Hockney by Lawrence Wechler in the New Yorker. With the publication of this very attractive, large-format book, you can look for yourself at the evidence that he argues sho...

from danrk

Hockney reverse engineers the story of why the style of European painting diverged so fast and to such an extent starting from about 1420 onward. What he comes up with is a credible explanation: painters made use of optical tools (concave mirrors and lenses) to make projections to help them see a...

from Well-ReadNeck

Great book/ideas. Uses visual evidence. Tells you what to look for and then shows you. Supporting documents and correspondence is dry and flat, however.

from jcbrunner

David Hockney's book is a visual treat. The sumptuous illustrations from the 14th to the 19th century merit the price of the book. It also claims to be a work on art history, to present Hockney's finding about technological breakthroughs in painting techniques. Hockney shows that beginning in 143...