Michael Fried 
Absorption and Theatricality [EPUB ebook] 
Painting and Beholder in the Age of Diderot

This book offers a groundbreaking interpretation of the evolution of painting in France from the mid-1750s to 1781, a period that witnessed the emergence of artists like Vien, Greuze, and David. The study examines a unique and autonomous progression in French painting that diverged from the prevailing international influences of the time. With a fresh perspective, the author delves into the dynamics of French art, notably the reaction against the Rococo and the development of new artistic concerns within France. By focusing on the writings of contemporary critics such as Diderot and La Font de Saint-Yenne, the book sheds light on how their insights guided the interpretation of the art of the period, offering an enriched understanding of both the paintings and the critical literature of the era. This approach breaks new ground, challenging the established narratives and bringing to light features of French painting previously overlooked.
The book also emphasizes the crucial relationship between painting and the viewer, a concept that Diderot himself explored in his critical writings. Through a detailed analysis of the interaction between art and its audience, the author presents a double process of interpretation where paintings and critical texts illuminate one another. This study, anchored in the work of Denis Diderot, reveals how the interplay between visual art and art criticism shaped the evolution of painting in France during this transformative period. By connecting critical commentary with the paintings themselves, the book provides compelling evidence of the importance of the viewer’s role in French artistic developments and highlights the beginnings of a tradition that has influenced modern art to this day.
This title is part of UC Press’s Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1980.

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