(Drivebycuriosity) - Do you like Dutch Masters, Holland´s greats painters from the 17th century? Then you might enjoy Laura Cumming`s wonderful book "Thunderclap: A memoir of art and life & sudden death" ( amazon).
Apparently the author has Dutch art in her DNA. Her Father, a painter in Edinburgh, introduced her early into the world of museums and art, especially the paintings of the Dutch masters, and Cumming developed a life long focus on their works. In "Thunderclap" she describes the lives of many painters who lived in the Dutch town Delft in the 17th century. I was enchanted by her poetic style and her elaborate descriptions of many paintings - some of them are shown in her book.
Cumming shows a special interest in Carel Fabritius, the creator of the famous "Goldfinch". In October 1654 a huge gunpowder depot in the middle of Delft exploded - the thunderclap of the book title - devastating the city and ending suddenly the lives of Fabritius and many others. Cumming narrates the catastrophe and takes the opportunity to philosophize generally about life & death - including that of her father´s.
Unfortunately, the author fills the pages with - for my taste - too many biographical details about sheer countless Dutch painters - and about herself and her father. Does the reader really need to know, who married whom and how many offsprings they and the cousins had?
And why does she not mention that "The Goldfinch" became famous - even outside the art world - by Donna Tartt´s same-named novel and the following Hollywood movie?
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