Old Masters: Great Artists in Old Age

Dr. Bond of Rebeccasreads highly recommends OLD MASTERS as a highly original book, which seems to have something for everyone. People who like biography, those interested in the lives of great artists, history buffs, individuals who are curious about biological aging, & those hardy souls who wish to learn how & why some people live longer than others, should find a storehouse of treasures in this book. Thomas Dormandy, who is a physician specializing in biological aging as well as a successful artist, has written in a style easily read by intelligent lay readers. He also has a delightfully subtle sense of humor which added greatly to this reader's pleasure. The major portion of OLD MASTERS goes deeply into the lives, loves, & work of 10 artists, in order to understand the source of their late-life creativity. Since the meaning of "old" is elusive & often changes according to period & place, the author included only long-lived artists of the first rank, who died no younger than the age of 75. He has excluded artists who were still alive, & those who died after 1955. The author takes us through the lives & productivity of each artist, & demonstrates how his work had changed & grown in his later years. Each biography is a tour de force.