| Description |
319 pages : color illustrations, portraits ; 25 cm |
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Occupational/field of activity group: occ Zoologists lcdgt |
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Occupational/field of activity group: occ Ethologists lcdgt |
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Occupational/field of activity group: occ Painters lcdgt |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (page 308) and index. |
| Summary |
"Every time an artist portrays a human subject, a decision has to be made about the posture of the figure. Will they be standing, sitting or reclining? Smiling, screaming or weeping? Will they be clasping their hands, crossing their arms or raising their fist? For the first time, celebrated surrealist and bestselling author Desmond Morris brings together his two fields of expertise--art and science--in a single volume. As well as exploring such familiar actions as the handshake, the nose-thumb and the dominant elbow, he draws us into an absorbing story of art detection, tracing the roots of a number of gestures that have baffled and intrigued the art world for years. Why, for example, did Napoleon pose for official portraits with his right hand thrust into his waistcoat, and what is the meaning of the double-split hand gesture displayed in El Greco's The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest? Encompassing a vast range of visual creativity, from prehistoric figurines, Roman artefacts and Renaissance frescoes to contemporary art and graffiti, Postures: Body Language in Art unlocks new ways of looking at art. Surprising similarities are uncovered, as well as now rarely used gestures, so that even the most familiar works are suddenly seen in a new light."--Publisher's description. |
| Contents |
Introduction -- Greetings. The hail ; The handshake ; The embrace ; The bow and the curtsey ; Kneeling ; Prostration -- Blessings. The laying on of hands ; The Latin and Orthodox blessings ; Buddhist blessings ; The Vulcan blessing -- Status. The erect posture ; The double-split hand ; The hidden hand ; The dominant elbow ; The codpiece ; The pointed foot ; The bent body ; Uninhibited actions and urban squalor -- Insults. Making a face ; The tongue-out ; The nose-thumb ; Finger gestures ; Hand gestures ; The forearm jerk ; Mooning -- Threats. The raised fist ; The air-grasp ; The threat-face ; The glove-slap ; Symbolic threat gestures -- Distress. Weeping ; Mourning ; Agony ; Terror ; Disgust ; Symbolic distress -- Self-protection. Fleeing ; Surrender ; Armour ; Cut-off ; Body-cross ; Arms folded ; Arms akimbo ; Fingers crossed ; Protective cornuta ; Tattoos ; The veil -- The erotic. The nude ; The female breast ; The fig-leaf -- The sexual embrace ; The erotic kiss ; Bondage -- At rest. Legs crossed ; Squatting ; Leaning ; Lying down ; Rocking ; Yawning ; Sleeping. |
| Subject |
Body language in art -- History.
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Body language in art -- Social aspects.
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Art and society.
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Art and society.
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Body language in art -- History.
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Body language in art -- Social aspects.
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Art and Design.
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Art and society. (OCoLC)fst00815432
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Body language in art. (OCoLC)fst00835370
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Art and Design.
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| Genre/Form |
History. (OCoLC)fst01411628
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| Added Title |
Body language in art |
| ISBN |
9780500022610 (hardcover) |
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0500022615 (hardcover) |
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