Silent Partners: Artist and Mannequin from Function to Fetish

'This intriguing history has been brought to light in this exquisitely detailed book'  - Harpers Bazaar

A fascinating history of the artist's mannequin 

Accompanying the critically acclaimed exhibition at the Fitzwilliam and Musée Bourdelle, this catalogue provides an in-depth look at how artists since the Renaissance have used mannequins as substitutes for the living model.

At first the figure was used as an aid, enabling the artist to study anatomical proportion, fix a pose at will, and perfect the depiction of drapery and clothing. However, over the course of the 19th century, the mannequin gradually evolved into becoming the artist's subject, at first humorously, then in more complicated ways.

Generously illustrated, this book features works by such artists as Poussin, Gainsborough, Degas, Courbet, Cezanne, Kokoschka, Dali, Man Ray, and others. Munro examines their range of responses to the uncanny and highly suggestive potential of the mannequin.

Silent Partners won the prestigious Apollo Exhibition of the Year Award in 2015.

Details

• Author: Jane Munro, Curator in the Department of Paintings, Drawings and Prints at the Fitzwilliam Museum
• Hardcover: 304 pages: 220 colour and 50 black and white illustrations
• Date published:  October 2014
• Language: English
• Delivery: Allow 1-2 weeks
• ISBN: 978-0300208221
• Product Dimensions: 28.7 x 23.9 x 3cm

Reviews

'A fascinating and scholarly new book... Jane Munro introduces this book by saying her aim is 'to give the artist's 'silent' partner a voice'. She certainly succeeds, as well as providing enough rich, often disturbing, material for contemplation in a world where the allure of androids and avatars is only increasing' - Art Quarterly

'This is the art book for art lovers' - Tatler Best Books

'This intriguing history has been brought to light in this exquisitely detailed book'  - Harpers Bazaar