The Shock of the New

The Shock of the New by Robert Hughes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Robert Hughes died, so I got this book from the library. I didn't know or love Hughes, so this is just about the book, not his illustrious career as an intellectual. Wow! I love this. It's an art history of the 20th century. Hughes loves the beginning -- Impressionism -- and hates the end -- big $$$ for little art. I wish I'd copied quotes; every sentence has layers: art underpinned by history and philosophy -- not to mention Hughes' often funny and always deep-seated opinions. I'd love to see the way it was made into a TV series, but can't find it on Netflix. It costs $80 on Amazon. A used paperback is $22, but I might spring for it.


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