this man is an excellent artist. he has his own style of painting, and that's what like most about him. i have two of his drawings in my house. they just bring out my whole house.

Translated from the French (the translation is fairly well done and readable), this is a good general bio of Leonardo's life. A primer rather than an in depth artistic analysis, it's geared towards the general reader and it does a fine job at that.

Da Vinci's life is followed from his small town upbringing by a father who was a notary (in the European sense not the American) and hence held a status higher than the average peasant or townsman.

Serge Bramly attempts some psychoanalysis of Da Vinci and if there is a main weakness to the book in my opinion it is that. His explanation of art workshops in the Renaissance era is interesting and informative. To be commended is his description of Da Vinci's relationships with his workers, friends and family. But best of all is Bramly's explanation of the relationships between the nobility who financed his projects and Da Vinci.

An informative and enjoyable biography; Leonardo: The Artist and the Man is worth a read.

Serge Bramly is a man of his word. The subtitle of this book is "The Artist And The Man," and that is what we get, in a very evenhanded account. There are many fascinating anecdotes and tidbits concerning both the work and the personality of Leonardo. My favorite story concerned the painting of "The Last Supper." Mr. Brambly explains that Leonardo liked to base his figures on real people. He strolled the streets of Milan and sketched many faces in order to come up with the models for Christ's disciples. It was smooth sailing until he tried to find someone "evil" looking enough to base Judas on. Apparently Leonardo dragged his feet on completing the fresco for a year while he searched for "his Judas." The prior of the convent who was keeping tabs on the notoriously slow-working Leonardo finally complained to the Duke of Milan regarding the delay. Called in front of the Duke to explain himself, Leonardo had this to say: "...I have been going every day to the Borghetto, where Your Excellency knows that all the ruffians of the city live. But I have not yet been able to discover a villain's face corresponding to what I have in mind. Once I find that face, I will finish the painting in a day. But if my research remains fruitless, I shall take the features of the prior who came to complain about me to Your Excellency and who would fit the requirements perfectly. But I have been hesitating a long time whether to make him a figure of ridicule in his own convent." In this quote, we get an idea of both Leonardo's working method and his sense of humor. (The Duke, by the way, was delighted by this reply and took Leonardo's side in the matter.) It is impossible to convey the richness of this book in a short review, but Mr. Bramly manages to convey the richness of his subject in what, at 400 pages, is a relatively brief biography. The author discusses Leonardo's famous "mirror writing" and states that it was not an attempt to conceal what he was writing, as Leonardo's notebooks were workbooks rather than diaries. Mr. Brambly says that left-handed people commonly can write from right to left. (I am not an expert and cannot judge this assertion.). The author also discusses Leonardo's homosexuality, his proposed inventions, his forays into architecture and civil engineering, his insatiable curiosity (he performed over two dozen dissections to teach himself anatomy, as well as learning Latin and mathematics in middle-age), and even his diet (Leonardo came to believe in the sanctity of all life, not just human life, and became a vegetarian). Mr. Bramly is not blind to his subject's faults: Leonardo was to some extent lazy (he hated to get up in the morning...something many of us can identify with!); he started many projects but completed very few (he was more interested in the conception than in the completion, plus his mind tended to wander from topic to topic); and he seemed to be pretty much disconnected from "real life" and other people and lost in his dreams and work. A bonus of the book is that Mr. Bramly gives wonderful descriptions of some of the famous people whose paths crossed Leonardo's, such as Cesare Borgia and King Francois I of France. I also can't say enough good things about the quality of the translation from French to English done by Sian Reynolds. There is not one clunky sentence in the entire book. The book is also peppered with many interesting reproductions (mostly black-and-white, but a few color), including an alternate, nude, version of "The Mona Lisa!" Many sketches from Leonardo's notebooks are included, as well. I came away from this book knowing a lot more about Leonardo's work and personality. When this work was first published in Great Britain in the early 1990's it was selected as one of the best books of the year by "The Sunday Times." It's not difficult to see why.

It's been a while since I read this book, but I wanted to write the review to spread the word that this is a fascinating biography, well worth reading. If you're a da Vinci expert, I don't know how much this will add to your knowledge, but for a painter and generalist like me, the art criticism, biography, and historical context were perfectly balanced. Da Vinci was more than just a visionary genius; he was a genuinely charming and hilarious guy. If there's anyone from the past I could meet, it would probably be he. And if there's anyone from the past who I wish could see the modern world, again it would be da Vinci, because his intellectual curiosity would have been so vindicated by what modern science has to offer. While da Vinci was too preoccupied with other projects to concentrate on painting for much of his career, he created a small number of paintings so profound that they have never been surpassed. Personally, I prefer his secular portraits to all others -- ah to have looked over his shoulder while he painted the magnificent Ginevra de' Benci or the Cecilia Gallerani (Lady with the Ermine)! Unfortunately, and I seriously doubt this is due to a defect in research, there isn't that much information available about da Vinci's emotional life, so the author makes careful but limited extrapolations based on fact. I love biography because it's the next best thing to meeting fascinating people, and it doesn't get much better than this.

That's right, this is Christ's life and gospels portrayed as if it were for a special millenial edition of Vogue. Quick summary: lots of dramatic stills of beautiful, androgenous, young adults playing the roles of Christ, Mary, the Apostles, Judas, etc. in contemporary settings like a garage (aka, the manger) or a ghetto in the USA.

Even if you are staunchly anti-christian, the images have their own evocative appeal. Re-envisioning the monopoly of renaissance icongraphy into contemporary media and form is an interesting premise (which the book jacket alludes to) but the images smack too much of hipsterism and model-pretty allure to stand as a serious enough retelling of an old story. It does, however, reinvigorate and loosen the stodgy fixity that bibil ical references often have for many folks. (I realize these last two sentences may sound a bit at odds with each other but the book does bring up contradictory feelings). The book may bring up questions of blashpemy but I think the textual support helps substantiate the photographs which otherwise would appear as mere stylizations passing for something more meaningful. There's quite a bit of frontal nudity which may offend many Christians and prudes but as the Book of Ecclesiastes says, and I only paraphrase, "For what does a person who has never experienced temptation really know?".

The cover of this book will make some outraged at first but I strongly recommend they read the text and then view the photos again. Unlike some photographers who use modern religious images to purposely provoke Christians this book is provocative yet very respectful of religion. The ancient telling of Christs life is beautifully shown in the setting of today with thought provoking images ranging from angels to his birth.Good view.

I've searched bookstores for creative compilations of nudes with limited success. With size comes diversity, and Chambre Close is an example of the range of products you can find at an on-line bookstore. Unfortunately, Rheims and Bramley's compilation illustrates the lower end of the spectrum.

The book is nice enough at first glance... the images are clear and different enough from the stock, headless abstract black and white nudes that are so common. They quickly become tiring, however, with stilted composition, overly simplistic lighting and a kind of bland consistency that makes them easily forgetable. After one pass (and skimming some of the text previously noted as bland) I knew this book was heading back to the retailer for a refund.

It isn't that the book is of low quality. Rather, there is just so much more creative and interesting material available (of better quality) at the same price. Adding this book to your collection is like padding a composition with text. While technically sound it is superfluous and detracts from nudes as a genre.

I have been a fan of Ms. Rheims practically from my first exposure to her work & when this book came out, it strengthened my convictions of her vision. Since then, I have continually reveled in her approach to portraiture w/ this book, in the fact that Ms. Rheims is able to capture a sense of intimacy w/ her subjects usually reserved for one's lover(s) & Mr. Bramley's prose if wistful, Romantic & bittersweet.

When I first opened the book, I simply could'nt take my eyes off the brilliant photography. The models were tastefully posed and every facet from lighting to background given detailed scrutiny. I still go back to this book when ever I need to be uplifted. But the text needs a severe revamping. I'd like to read too..once in while.

This book is a collection of anonymous photographs that leaked out of our societies sexually repressed past (into our still sexually repressed present). Most of them are unique, a rare look into the subculture of the "deviant pornographer" back when knees were still a private subject. Overall the book is one that won't embarass you if company sees it.

A truly sensationalist view of Candomble, Umbanda, and Espiritismo which Bramly apparently thinks are interchangable terms! Even the prejortive title of this book (MacUmba) suggests how it will read......not even of good entertainment value. I you want to be MISINFORMED about some of the Afro-Brazilian religious traditions, then this is the book for you! Save your money, learn Portuguese, and then read books written by and for practicioners.

Bramly's book is probably the best account by an outsider of "macumba" -- a generic and often pejorative term for Afro-Brazilian religions such as umbanda and candomble. The only unfortunate thing about the book is the title! Another great source of information about "macumba" is the music book "The Brazilian Sound," which goes into great detail about the history of candomble in Brazil and its link to samba and afoxe music.

A serious & thoughtful exploration of the beliefs and practicies of Macumba (the Brazilian version of voodoo) in the format of an interview with a leading traditional practioner. Includes many B&W photographs and drawings, as well as in depths examinations of Macumba metaphysics & cosmology. Highly recommended.

When art directors want to find a model, or a bunch of models, they'll call an agency, "We're looking for an executive type with gray hair" they say and the agency calls wannabes like me to run to a "go-see". I'd go, the art director saw me and my gray hair. "Stand on the x on the floor and we'll shoot a Polaroid and a couple of test shots." I'd get about 6 seconds to compose myself and FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! it was over. They'd hire somebody else. Dang. You get the idea. Go-sees take practice, otherwise the aspiring model looks like a deer caught in the headlights, dumbfounded, as inexperienced models often are. X'mas is a whole book full of such pictures. Girl models, nude or with baggy, soiled, homely undies, slightly askew or conspicuously disheveled, some girls have a bustline, many don't, all appear as if they were waiting on the photo set for the photographer to say "Smile" or give some other indication it's time to take a picture. FLASH! "OK, dear, thanks. We'll let you know. Who's next?" Only Rosemary Bartilla seems to react, and she's absolutely glowering. Teen anger, teen anger, I can just hear Rosemary gnashing her teeth -- "This is stupid!" she's thinking. And she's right. X'mas is cynical drivel -- not "decisive moments" but a string of klutzy, vacant moments -- from a photographer who has done enormously more interesting work. The photo technique is consistent with Rheims's Chambre Close with the addition of some filter/gel effects and the use of a rear-projection screen, and the indoor sets have the same color and style sense.

The first thing that struck me about this book was the incredible use of colour. It could be suggested that the use of colour is almost too extreme in some of the photo's, but I think perhaps that was the desired affect... and it worked really well. I bought A Room in the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt (a previous Bettina Rheims release), and although I enjoyed it, it left me craving for a little more. X'mas provided that with several really nice shots. Interestingly, the photos played a lot on what was in the background, with the model seemingly "stuck on", as if they were playing the part in some kind of production. All in all, I found it a most enjoyable book, and a good account of some of what Bettina Rheims has to offer.

Without sexualizing her subjects (ala Richard Kern*), Ms. Rheims still presents sexually powerful photographs of beautiful young women. The wife of photographer Jeanloup Sieff certainly has a different style than her husband, but they are two of the foremost photographers of feminine beauty to ever pick up a camera. A wonder to behold, this book. You flip the pages and view the photos horizontally. Every page contains another breathtakingly beautiful girl in, most of the time, humorous but powerful poses, and mostly undressed. I've always likened Bettina to be halfway between a Juergen Teller and a David LaChapelle. The faces and poses are fresh and natural, but there's always a hint of wackiness. You get the feeling there is a lot of laughter at her shoots. (I wonder if it's more comforting to be a woman posing for a woman?). If you like Ellen Unwerth, Jock Sturges, Fabio Cabral, Teller, Kern, Hamilton or Roversi, this should be up your alley.

*- (not that I'm complaining)