Dali: Genius, Obsession and Lust

by Ralf Schiebler, Jacqueline Guigui-Stolberg

Book by Ralf Schiebler, Jacqueline Guigui-Stolberg

Genres: Art

127 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text was disappointing; shallow and unsubstantiated at times (despite lots of footnotes), while at others it presents Dali as a one-dimensional caricature. I think it is a matter of authorial tone. This is a translation so that might be part of the problem. Anyway, Schiebler’s interpretations of the paintings relied almost exclusively (with the exception of discussing Dali’s fascination with science and its influence on his latter work) on Dali’s well-known affinity for Freud, and thus were not particularly enlightening. The illustrations in the book are awesome, however. More than 60 color plates, some from his less familiar paintings, or details that emphasize less obvious aspects of the larger works. This book makes the case once again for a picture being worth….

[Kathleen Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating study that attempts to provide balance and insight on Dali the artist and the person. It is accompanied by high quality illustrations of many familiar and lesser known works. The style of this translation of the original German edition is at times dense and opaque since it assumes familiarity with European philosophical and literary beacons of the early 20th century. I would have loved greater elaboration of the influences that Schiebler so casually mentions.