IT ALL STARTED WITH NUDES

by Richard Armour ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 4, 1977

Fill in the blanks. ""El Greco was born in Crete and always objected to being called a _____."" A well-known furniture designer was Thomas Chippendale. You might think his chairs and cabinets would _____."" ""Five points for ""cretin,"" ten points for ""chip,"" and no points for Richard Armour, whose 55th book--art history from Cave to Pop-is not only not funny but doesn't even seem to be trying very hard. Flimsy-whimsy footnotes, limp digs at art historians, and, of course, please-don't/why-bother puns galore. Here's a harder one. ""Botticelli, whose real name was Alessandro Filipepi and therefore had no connection with either _____ or the _____."" Twenty-five points for either ""botulism"" or ""cello."" Get the idea? By now, you should be able to make up your own, using the following: bust, groin vault, rib vault, temporary erections, Constable, Florence, The Gobelins. The illustrations by Campbell Grant are, as advertised, ""appropriate."" As for the Mona Lisa smirk, ""Leonardo may have told a joke Lisa had heard before, and she was politely forcing a smile."" We know just how you feel, Mona.

Pub Date: Sept. 4, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION