Julia Blackburn is the author of three books of nonfiction, Charles Waterton, The Emperor’s Last Island, and Daisy Bates in the Desert, and of two novels, The Book of Color and The Leper’s Companions, both of which were shortlisted for the Orange Prize. She lives in England.
“Extraordinary . . . Throughout, the writer’s evocations of Goya’s
work are not just intensely visual but virtually audible . . .
Blackburn writes to startling effect.” —The New York Times
“[Blackburn’s] real talent is in conjuring up lives . . . You have
the uncanny sensation that you have met Goya, felt his honest horny
hands, watched him work.” —The Economist
“[Blackburn’s] rare imagination and profound intelligence . . .
carry her into the mind and the work of Francisco de Goya . . .
Each image, exquisite in its plainness, draws us first into the
landscape, then into the past, a process Blackburn repeats until we
are mesmerized.” —The Boston Globe
“[A] singular, empathetic homage….Blackburn's attempt to see with
Goya's eyes…is most successful and moving. . . .She writes like a
painter of still lives.” —The Observer (London)
“Blackburn’s prose is elegant and precise, illuminated by
intelligence, curiosity, and a refined visual sense . . . [She]
beautifully conveys the changed reality of the newly deaf painter.”
—Literary Review
The author of both fiction and nonfiction, Blackburn (e.g., Daisy Bates in the Desert) has returned with a mlange of biography, historical fiction, and meditation on the life of Spanish painter Francisco de Goya. Although many academic works on Goya are available, Blackburn's reluctance to conform to any one genre makes this book on the painter's last 35 years unique. Blackburn's meticulous research into Goya's life, the cast of characters around him, and the impact of his hearing loss allowed her to re-create the most intimate moments. For example, in her description of Goya's relationship with the Duchess of Alba, Blackburn imagines the newly deaf Goya being seduced by one of the legendary subjects of his portraits. Goya purists may be uncomfortable when Blackburn goes off on tangents, as when she revels in meticulous descriptions of late 18th- and early 19th-century Spain or draws parallels between the death of her mother, a painter, and Goya's own demise. But in the end, Blackburn's subjective take on Goya the man works beautifully. She successfully creates a virtual tour through Spain's past and present and fills in the gaps about Goya's personal life with details one won't get from the audio tour at the Prado museum. Highly recommended. [See the interview with Blackburn on p. 96. Ed.] Adriana Lopez, "Criticas" Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
"Extraordinary . . . Throughout, the writer's evocations of Goya's
work are not just intensely visual but virtually audible . . .
Blackburn writes to startling effect." -The New York Times
"[Blackburn's] real talent is in conjuring up lives . . .
You have the uncanny sensation that you have met Goya, felt his
honest horny hands, watched him work." -The Economist
"[Blackburn's] rare imagination and profound intelligence .
. . carry her into the mind and the work of Francisco de Goya . . .
Each image, exquisite in its plainness, draws us first into the
landscape, then into the past, a process Blackburn repeats until we
are mesmerized." -The Boston Globe
"[A] singular, empathetic homage....Blackburn's attempt to
see with Goya's eyes...is most successful and moving. . . .She
writes like a painter of still lives." -The Observer
(London)
"Blackburn's prose is elegant and precise, illuminated by
intelligence, curiosity, and a refined visual sense . . . [She]
beautifully conveys the changed reality of the newly deaf painter."
-Literary Review
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