Secret Knowledge Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters

Recently, David Hockney, often described as the "world's most popular artist," has made headlines not with his own work but with his sensational & controversial theories about how some of Western art's famous masterpieces--paintings by artists such as da Vinci, Caravaggio, Velazquez, & Van Eyck--were actually created. A chance observation of a drawing in London's National Gallery led Hockney to ask, "How was this done?" His answer led to fascinating insights into the history of art: that many of the world's most revered artists used mirrors & various optical devices--such as the camera obscura--to project images onto their canvasses & then "traced" the scenes. Hockney's radical speculations have prompted both astonishment & outrage from prominent art historians & museum directors worldwide. The debate aside, Secret Knowledge offers readers the exhilarating opportunity to see the Old Masters afresh--through the eyes of a living master. In Secret Knowledge, hundreds of paintings are reproduced in stunning color plates, & many are discussed in close & accessible detail. Hockney's own drawings & photographs illustrate how artists would have used the technology available to them in rendering their subjects. Extracts from historical & modern documents provide further evidence while correspondence between Hockney & an impressive array of international art historians, curators, & scientists details both the evolution of his theory & the furor that has erupted over it.Hockney, David is the author of 'Secret Knowledge Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters', published 0000 under ISBN 9780670030262 and ISBN 0670030260.