About the Author
Eric Scigliano, who has written for Outside, the New York Times, and many other publications, first became fascinated with elephants as a child in Vietnam. He lives in Seattle
Works by Eric Scigliano
Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man's Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks… (2009) — Author — 119 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1953-02-25
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Occupations
- writer
Members
Reviews
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 6
- Members
- 276
- Popularity
- #84,078
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 10
Michelangelo was obviously scultore, the Sistine Chapel not withstanding. This book covers the whole spectrum vis-a-vis this great Renaissance artist, from his personal life to his works to his obsession with the perfect block of marble. Michelangelo felt the only place he could find the perfect stone was in the quarries of Carrara, so we also get a full history of this town which has produced the finest white marble since antiquity.
You must listen to the stone
The author has quite a task to perform, as there are so many different facets to this story. Yes, we learn about the artist and the quarry, but we also get some nice history on the Medici, various Popes, sculpture, Florence, Rome, WWII, and anarchy. I felt the book became more enthralling as it came toward the end, with Carrara once again becoming a central point.
The ability to take a block of stone and then to chip away to find the life within is simply amazing. How sculptors do it is beyond me. I never talk to a painting, but whenever I walk past the garden outside the Houses of Parliament, I always say "hello" to the Burghers of Calais. After reading this book, I now understand why.
Book Season = Autumn (good travelling in Italy)… (more)