Behind the Angel of History

Name: Behind the Angel of History
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SKU: 9780226816708
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The "Angelus Novus" and Its Interleaf

By Annie Bourneuf

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Summary

Behind the Angel of History follows artist R. H. Quaytman's startling discovery of a 19th-century engraving hidden beneath Paul Klee's 1920 artwork Angelus Novus. This concealed figure of Martin Luther prompts an exploration of Germany's artistic, political, and theological tensions after the Great War. The book reveals how Klee's painting responded to a call for new religious art, whilst Walter Benjamin saw it as a symbol for interfaith dialogue. Annie Bourneuf investigates the layered, conflicting images and ideas shared by Klee, Benjamin, and Quaytman, uncovering fresh depths to this iconic piece and its profound impact.
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Format: Hardback

$75⁹⁹

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Behind the Angel of History

$75⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in art history, religious studies, and the cultural history of post-World War I Germany. It will appeal to those fascinated by the intersections of theology, philosophy, and visual art, as well as fans of Paul Klee, Walter Benjamin, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Description

The story of artist R. H. Quaytman’s discovery of an engraving hidden behind a famous artwork by Paul Klee.

This book begins with artist R. H. Quaytman uncovering something startling about a picture by Paul Klee. Pasted beneath Klee’s 1920 Angelus Novus—famous for its role in the writings of its first owner, Walter Benjamin—Quaytman found that Klee had interleaved a nineteenth-century engraving of Martin Luther, leaving just enough visible to provoke questions.

Behind the Angel of History reveals why this hidden face matters, delving into the intertwined artistic, political, and theological issues consuming Germany in the wake of the Great War. With the Angelus Novus, Klee responded to a growing call for a new religious art. For Benjamin, Klee’s Angelus became bound up with the prospect of meaningful dialogue among religions in Germany.

Reflecting on Klee’s, Benjamin’s, and Quaytman’s strategies of superimposing conflicting images, Annie Bourneuf reveals new dimensions of complexity in this iconic work and the writing it inspired.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

David Carrier of Hyperallergic praises Bourneuf's "magisterial, amazingly lucid commentary" and her engagement with debates on Jewish cultural identity. Commonweal describes the book as a "fascinating, multi-strand tapestry" rich with unexpected connections, applauding its deliberately non-linear structure as a major strength. New Criterion highlights Bourneuf's ability to confront the mysterious angel in new ways, addressing complex interpretative questions raised by the discovery.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226816708

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 24 September 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Illustration: 23 color plates, 15 halftones

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 739g

Pages: 176

Collections

Annie Bourneuf Arts & Culture Non-Fiction

About the Author

Annie Bourneuf is professor of art history at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is the author of Paul Klee: The Visible and the Legible, which was also published by the University of Chicago Press and won the 2016 Robert Motherwell Book Award.