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Thunderclap by Laura Cumming

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Thunderclap

A Memoir of Art and Life and Sudden Death

Laura Cumming

Scribner · Print & ebook · July 11, 2023

Reading lane: Baroque & Rococo Art History

Named a Top 100 Must-Read Book of the Year by Time and a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker * Winner of the 2024 Writers ’ Prize for Nonfiction * Shortlisted for the Inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction * Longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize New York Times bestselling author Laura Cumming “combines first-rate art history with deeply felt memoir” ( The Washington Post ) in this fascinating, little-known story of the massive explosion in Holland that killed Carel Fabritius, renowned painter of The Goldfinch and A View of Delft and nearly killed Johannes Vermeer—two of the greatest artists of the 17th century.

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At a Glance

Who It's For

Good for readers interested in historyGood for readers who enjoy Baroque & Rococo Art History and Artist Biographies.Strong fit for readers who prefer grounded, real-world context.

Book Details

Authors
Laura Cumming
Publisher
Scribner
Published
July 11, 2023
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Baroque & Rococo Art History · Artist Biographies
Reading lane
Baroque & Rococo Art History

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • Baroque & Rococo Art History

  • Artist Biographies

  • 17th‑Century History

About This Book

Named a Top 100 Must-Read Book of the Year by Time and a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker * Winner of the 2024 Writers ’ Prize for Nonfiction * Shortlisted for the Inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction * Longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize New York Times bestselling author Laura Cumming “combines first-rate art history with deeply felt memoir” ( The Washington Post ) in this fascinating, little-known story of the massive explosion in Holland that killed Carel Fabri...

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Named a Top 100 Must-Read Book of the Year by Time and a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker * Winner of the 2024 Writers ’ Prize for Nonfiction * Shortlisted for the Inaugural Women’s Prize for Nonfiction * Longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize New York Times bestselling author Laura Cumming “combines first-rate art history with deeply felt memoir” ( The Washington Post ) in this fascinating, little-known story of the massive explosion in Holland that killed Carel Fabritius, renowned painter of The Goldfinch and A View of Delft and nearly killed Johannes Vermeer—two of the greatest artists of the 17th century. “Exquisite.” —Simon Schama, The Guardian As a brilliant art critic and historian, Laura Cumming has explored the importance of art in life and can give us a perspective on the time and place in which the artist worked. Now, through the lens of one dramatic event in 17th-century Holland, Cumming “has fashioned a book that combines memoir, art criticism, and history to illuminating effect” ( The New York Times Book Review ). In 1654, the Thunderclap—an enormous explosion at a gunpowder store—devasted the city of Delft, killing hundreds of people, including the extraordinary painter Carel Fabritius, and injuring thousands more. Framing the story around the life of Fabritius, Cumming illuminates this extraordinary moment in art history while also writing about her own father, a painter. Like Dutch art, the story gradually links country, city, town, street, house, interior—all the way to the bird on its perch, the blue and white tile, the smallest seed in a loaf of bread. The impact of a painting and how it can enter our thoughts and influence our view and understanding of the world is the heart of this book. Cumming has brought her unique eye to her most compelling subject yet. Featuring beautiful full-color images of Dutch paintings throughout, this is “a glorious tribute to the two men who showed her the truth of the notion that paintings offer ‘a land in themselves, a society, a place to be’” ( The Economist ).

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