A Fast History of Art: From the Cave to the Computer
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Narrated by:
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Eric Vinc3nt
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By:
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Eric Vinc3nt
About this listen
A freewheeling, wide ranging, irreverent, and subversively brief writing on the subject of art by a critically acclaimed writer-artist. Kirkus Review has said of Eric's writing, "Vinc3nt's solid prose demonstrates a considerable command of geography, history, and international affairs." The Philadelphia Inquirer, America's third oldest daily newspaper, with 20 Pulitzer Prizes to its name, has said, "Vincent speaks not only for himself, but for a whole generation of transmedia storytellers."
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Story
The purpose of Why Architecture Matters is to "come to grips with how things feel to us when we stand before them, with how architecture affects us emotionally as well as intellectually" - with its impact on our lives. "Architecture begins to matter," writes Paul Goldberger, "when it brings delight and sadness and perplexity and awe along with a roof over our heads."
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Reading too mechanical
- By Petrie on 09-01-15
By: Paul Goldberger
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So Much Longing in So Little Space
- The Art of Edvard Munch
- By: Karl Ove Knausgaard
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In So Much Longing in So Little Space, Karl Ove Knausgaard sets out to understand the enduring and awesome power of Edvard Munch's work by training his gaze on the landscapes that inspired Munch and speaking firsthand with other contemporary artists, including Anselm Kiefer, for whom Munch's legacy looms large. Bringing together art history, biography, and memoir, Knausgaard tells a passionate, freewheeling, and pensive story about not just one of history's most significant painters, but the very meaning of choosing the artist's life, as he himself has done.
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not just for Munch fans
- By Alexander on 08-19-24
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Da Vinci's Ghost
- Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image
- By: Toby Lester
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Toby Lester, author of the award-winning The Fourth Part of the World, masterfully crafts yet another century-spanning saga of people and ideas in this epic story of Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic drawing of a man inscribed in a circle and a square. Over time, the nearly 550-year-old ink-on-paper sketch has transformed into a collective symbol of the nature of genius, the beauty of the human form, and the universality of the human spirit.
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Haunting Expierience
- By Paul on 02-10-12
By: Toby Lester
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Botticelli's Secret
- The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance
- By: Joseph Luzzi
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Some 500 years ago, Sandro Botticelli, a painter of humble origin, created work of unearthly beauty. An intimate associate of Florence’s unofficial rulers, the Medici, he was commissioned by a member of their family to execute a near-impossible project: to illustrate all 100 cantos of The Divine Comedy by the city’s greatest poet, Dante Alighieri. A powerful encounter between poet and artist, sacred and secular, earthly and evanescent, these drawings produced a wealth of stunning images but were never finished.
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Great story
- By Chris M on 12-09-22
By: Joseph Luzzi
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In Montparnasse
- The Emergence of Surrealism in Paris, from Duchamp to Dalí
- By: Sue Roe
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In Montparnasse begins on the eve of the First World War and ends with the 1936 unveiling of Dalí’s Lobster Telephone. As those extraordinary years unfolded, the Surrealists found ever more innovative ways of exploring the interior life, and asking new questions about how to define art. In Montparnasse recounts how this artistic revolution came to be amidst the salons and cafés of that vibrant neighborhood.
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Great Second of Two Books
- By Robert Keith on 10-26-19
By: Sue Roe
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The Geography of Genius
- A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley
- By: Eric Weiner
- Narrated by: Eric Weiner
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Geography of Genius, acclaimed travel writer Weiner sets out to examine the connection between our surroundings and our most innovative ideas. He explores the history of places, like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley, to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity.
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Very, very disappointing
- By Tamara Greer on 06-08-16
By: Eric Weiner
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Germany: Memories of a Nation
- By: Neil MacGregor
- Narrated by: Neil MacGregor
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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For the past 140 years, Germany has been the central power in continental Europe. Thirty years ago, a new German state came into being. How much do we really understand this new Germany, and how do its people now understand themselves? Neil MacGregor argues that uniquely for any European country, no coherent, over-arching narrative of Germany's history can be constructed, for in Germany, both geography and history have always been unstable.
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Engaging and Informative
- By William on 06-15-24
By: Neil MacGregor
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Known and Strange Things
- Essays
- By: Teju Cole
- Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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With this collection of more than 50 pieces on politics, photography, travel, history, and literature, Teju Cole solidifies his place as one of today's most powerful and original voices. Minute after minute, deploying prose dense with beauty and ideas, he finds fresh and potent ways to interpret art, people, and historical moments, taking in subjects from Virginia Woolf, Shakespeare, and W. G. Sebald to Instagram, Barack Obama, and Boko Haram.
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A Book that Teaches and Shares
- By Carolyn J. on 10-08-17
By: Teju Cole
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The Oldest Enigma of Humanity
- By: Bertrand David, Jean-Jacques Lefrere
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Thirty thousand years ago our prehistoric ancestors painted perfect images of animals on walls of tortuous caves, most often without any light. How was this possible? Scholars and archaeologists have for centuries pored over these works of art, speculating and hoping to come away with the key to the mystery. David and Lefrre give us a new understanding of an art lost in time, revealing what had until recently remained unexplainable - the oldest enigma in humanity has been solved.
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Amazing conclusion that will change your views
- By D on 05-13-15
By: Bertrand David, and others
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Notre-Dame
- A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: Ken Follett
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In this short, spellbinding book, international best-selling author Ken Follett describes the emotions that gripped him when he learned about the fire that threatened to destroy one of the greatest cathedrals in the world - the Notre-Dame de Paris. Follett then tells the story of the cathedral, from its construction to the role it has played across time and history, and he reveals the influence that the Notre-Dame had upon cathedrals around the world and on the writing of one of Follett's most famous and beloved novels, The Pillars of the Earth.
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informative
- By BILL O'NEILL on 05-12-20
By: Ken Follett
What listeners say about A Fast History of Art: From the Cave to the Computer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-27-21
great story. good narration. music is overwhelming
the story telling is good and engaging. the author voice could be a little heavy but he does a good job and very personal. the music is load and nerv racking for ne. i am reading a book not having a dtink at the nigth club. wich i enjoy by itself .
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- Christopher W. Mazurek
- 07-18-20
Great connections made, emphasis on at collections in Philly
At first I was annoyed by the background music. Eventually I tuned out out and enjoyed the story telling. The author reminds us a few times that this is not a textbook and I enjoyed the nonchalance of his telling. I found some unique and very interesting tales threaded throughout as well as some insightful explanations, perhaps simplifications of textbook kind of info.
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- Greg Yeutter
- 06-25-19
Excellent audiobook concept
After listening to A Fast History of Art, I'm still by no means an art expert, but I did glean a few valuable insights.
Vincent references many pieces found in Philadelphia, so this would be a great book to read when planning a trip to the museums there. Regardless of the numerous Philadelphia references, the principles are universal, although this book is most certainly not the complete picture. What did you expect from such a short listen?
This audiobook is different from most in that it has a soundtrack. Vincent is an excited but clear narrator, making this a more enjoyable listen than many you'll find on Audible. If you're into electronic music, I think you'll enjoy the combination of narration and score, even if you listen at 1.3x like I do.
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- Mikel Elam
- 05-28-19
A concise and intuitive narrative about Art
I really enjoyed the author and narrator's observations on art throughout time.
The book was perceptive sensitive and at moments quite funny in a dry humor sort of way.
The author takes a look at the art and the viewer. Giving you the intelligent perspective as well as the naive somewhat ignorant points of view coming from the masses going to museums and galleries etc..
The music in the background is exceptional. I understand the author narrator is also an accomplished musician. Kind of a renaissance man.
Well worth it to buy this book. It will be a companion to anyone who loves art or just a curious bystander.
I highly recommend it.
Mikel Elam
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