Philip Hoare is an author who dives into the depths of the human psyche and nature. His works, often inspired by the sea, explore themes of identity, art, and the lost world. Hoare is characterized by a rich and strange style that draws readers into fantastical stories. His works are praised for their depth and imagination, carving out a unique space in literature.
Travelling around the globe in search of the whale, Philip Hoare sheds light on our perennial fascination with the strange creatures of the sea, whose nature remains tantalizingly undiscovered
Exploring the history of Netley in Southampton, the narrative delves into its hospital and the lives of its inhabitants, revealing a hidden 20th-century legacy. The updated edition includes a new afterword that uncovers shocking connections between Netley and Porton Down, particularly regarding experiments with LSD during the 1950s, shedding light on a lesser-known aspect of the region's past.
A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR AN OBSERVER BEST ART BOOK OF 2021 SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2022 'This is a wonderful book. A lyrical journey into the natural and unnatural world' Patti Smith 'Everything Philip Hoare writes is bewitching' Olivia Laing An illuminating exploration of the intersection between life, art and the sea from the award-winning author of Leviathan. Albrecht Dürer changed the way we saw nature through art. From his prints in 1498 of the plague ridden Apocalypse - the first works mass produced by any artist - to his hyper-real images of animals and plants, his art was a revelation: it showed us who we are but it also foresaw our future. It is a vision that remains startlingly powerful and seductive, even now. In Albert & the Whale, Philip Hoare sets out to discover why Dürer's art endures. He encounters medieval alchemists and modernist poets, eccentric emperors and queer soul rebels, ambassadorial whales and enigmatic pop artists. He witnesses the miraculous birth of Dürer's fantastical rhinoceros and his hermaphroditic hare, and he traces the fate of the star-crossed leviathan that the artist pursued. And as the author swims from Europe to America and beyond, these prophetic artists and downed angels provoke awkward questions. What is natural or unnatural? Is art a fatal contract? Or does it in fact have the power to save us?
From his childhood fascination with the gigantic Natural History Museum model of a blue whale, to his abiding love of Moby-Dick, to his adult encounters with the living animals in the Atlantic Ocean, the acclaimed writer Philip Hoare has been obsessed with whales. The Whale is his unforgettable and moving attempt to explain why these strange and beautiful animals exert such a powerful hold on our imagination.
In 1520, Albrecht Dürer, the most celebrated artist in Northern Europe, sailed to Zeeland to see a whale. A central figure of the Renaissance, no one had painted or drawn the world like him. Dürer drew hares and rhinoceroses in the way he painted saints and madonnas. The wing of a bird or the wing of an angel; a spider crab or a bursting star like the augury of a black hole, in Dürer's art, they were part of a connected world. Everything had meaning. But now he was in crisis. He had lost his patron, the Holy Roman Emperor. He was moorless and filled with wanderlust. In the shape of the whale, he saw his final ambition. But now he was in crisis. He had lost his patron, the Holy Roman Emperor. He was moorless and filled with wanderlust. In the shape of the whale, he saw his final ambition. But his art captured more than the physical world, he also captured states of mind. Albert and the Whale explores the work of this remarkable man through a personal lens. Drawing on Philip's experience of the natural world, and of the elements that shape our contemporary lives, from suburbia to the wide open sea, Philip will enter Dürer's time machine. Seeking his own Leviathan, Hoare help us better understand the interplay between art and our world in this sublimely seductive book
The narrative presents a gripping exploration of heroes and villains, intertwining their complexities in a way that is both enlightening and disturbing. It delves into moral ambiguities and the human condition, leaving readers questioning their perceptions of right and wrong. Acclaimed by Sir Ian McKellen, this notable work of the year challenges conventional storytelling, offering a profound reflection on the nature of heroism and villainy.
How One Visionary Inspired Two Hundred Years of Art, Poetry & Protest
Exploring the life of an overlooked yet talented artist, the narrative delves into the complexities of creativity and recognition. It examines the struggles and triumphs of an individual whose work remains largely unappreciated by the public. Through a blend of personal anecdotes and artistic insights, the story highlights themes of passion, perseverance, and the often-unseen impact of art on society. The journey invites readers to reflect on the nature of fame and the true value of artistic expression.
A book in the Tate’s “Look Again” series (the first book of the second set of four), which aim to “open up the conversation about British art over the last 500 years, and explore what art has to tell us about our lives today.”“Author Philip Hoare takes us on an exploration of the sea and the way it has provided a deep source of inspiration for artists featured in the Tate collection, from William Blake to Maggi Hambling”
Albrecht Dürer hinterließ einen beeindruckenden künstlerischen Kosmos, der bis heute die Betrachtung der Wirklichkeit in ihrer Fülle und Tiefe widerspiegelt. 1520 reiste Dürer in die Niederlande, um ein sagenumwobenes Ungeheuer, einen Wal, zu sehen. Niemand hatte zuvor die gesamte Natur so eindrucksvoll festgehalten wie er: von Grashalmen und Tieren bis hin zu apokalyptischen Szenen und Selbstporträts. Dürer verdichtete die Macht und Unheimlichkeit seiner Zeit in seinen Kunstwerken und wollte einen Leviathan zeichnen, um dessen bedrohliche Kraft zu überwinden. Philip Hoare beleuchtet Dürers Modernität und seine erstaunlichen Perspektiven, die bis in die Gegenwart reichen. Seine leidenschaftliche Darstellung verwandelt Dürers Vision des Dunklen, Schönen und Fremden in ein überwältigendes Leseerlebnis. Kritiker loben Hoares Werk als berauschend und voller lebendiger Einsichten. Es wird als harmonisch und wohlkonzipiert beschrieben, das die natürliche Welt lebendiger erscheinen lässt als die Realität. Hoares Buch wird als eine großartige Kulturgeschichte des Wals gefeiert, die Elemente von Reisereportage und Sachbuch vereint. Es ist eine Fundgrube für alle, die von Moby-Dick fasziniert sind.
