The Body of Raphaelle Peale: Still Life and Selfhood, 1812-1824

This book made me feel lonely and confused. Though a facile psychanalytical analysis is tempting (Oedipous action) I am more confortable divulging my own discomfort with anything that lacks absolute certainty and closure.

Alexander Nemerov's prose in this book is as rich and layered as Raphaelle Peale's paintings. It's almost as if he creates a work of art to attempt to explain other works of art. His approach seems intensely personal. I had no idea that he is Howard Nemerov's son, but you can definately tell that he knows how to write. I loved the book. I don't know if I agree with what he says, especially since other still-life painters produced similar works who didn't necessarily have problems with their fathers...but it's lovely reading for any art lover, especially those who are into american still-life painting. I'd put Nemerov right up there with Robert Hughes and Sister Wendy.

A fresh look at Peale and his inner soul. Very well written, if not altogether watertight research. A wonderful Christmas gift that makes art history as readable as a novel. I keep re-reading sections, and the more I do the more I like it. At first I hated it, but this book really grows on you. At least it grew on me. It's questionable as history (I'm a decorative art specialist, not an 'paintings' art historian per se) but maybe we need this sort of approach now and again to get the big picture re: this wonderful 'body' of evidence that has been left behind by Raphaelle Peale. Never has such a book made me so angry with its fluffyness, yet so facsinated and so involved me with the prose. Hard to put down. This sort of thing is just really captivating. My initial and admittedly agressively vile reaction notwistanding, this is something historians will be talking about for some time to come. Nemerov is indeed brilliant. I don't agree with him, or do I? I can't decide exactly if I do or not. I just started going to school for my masters degree in art history in new england and we had to read this for a class. It was argued over quite a bit.

i came across this fabulous book in one of my art history classes and i immediately fell in love with it. art history can, more often times than not, be extremely dry in its scholarly interpretation but Nemerov does an excellent job of leaving this assumption behind. he has entered a world of still life that conveys a deep and tormented view of its artist; one where Peale struggles with his own feelings of failure and death. Mr. Nemerov has given art history a treasure that will no doubt inspire, and hopefully, trigger a new outlook in art history interpretation. i thank him for his incredible insight. this was a great pleasure!