Audiobooks by Jean-Pierre Isbouts

The Dalí Legacy: How an Eccentric Genius Changed the Art World and Created a Lasting Legacy

In turns beloved and reviled, twentieth century art, painter, filmmaker, and designer Salvador Dali set Europe and the United States ablaze with his uncompromising genius, sexual sadism, and flirtations with megalomania. His shocking behavior and work frequently alienated critics; his views were so outrageous, even prominent Surrealists tried to ostracize him. Still, every morning he experienced 'an exquisite joy-the joy of being Salvador Dali,' and, through a remarkable talent that invited bewilderment, anger, and adoration, rose to unprecedented levels of fame-forever shifting the landscape of the art world and the nature of celebrity itself. In this stunning volume, noted art historians Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown discuss the historical, social, and political conditions that shaped Dali's work, identify the impact of Modern as well as Old Master art, and present an unflinching view of the master's personal relationships and motivations. With their deeply compelling narrative, Isbouts and Brown uncover how Dali's visual wit and enduring cult of personality still impacts fashion, literature, and art, from Andy Warhol to Lady Gaga, and seeks to answer why, in an age of shock and awe, Dali's art still manages to distress, perplex, and entertain.

Christopher Heath Brown, Jean-Pierre Isbouts (Author), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

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The da Vinci Legacy: How an Elusive 16th-Century Artist Became a Global Pop Icon

Virtually everyone would agree that Leonardo da Vinci was the most important artist of the High Renaissance. It was Leonardo who singlehandedly created the defining features of Western art: a realism based on subtle shading; depth using atmospheric effects; and dramatic contrasts between light and dark. But how did Leonardo, a painter of very few works who died in obscurity in France, become the internationally renowned icon he is today, with the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper the most visited artworks in the world, attracting nearly a billion visitors each year, and Salvator Mundi selling as the most expensive artwork of all time, for nearly half a billion dollars? This extraordinary volume is the first book to unravel these mysteries by diving deep into the art, literature, science, and politics of Europe from the Renaissance through today. It gives illuminating context to both Leonardo and his accomplishments; explores why Leonardo's fame vastly overshadowed that of his contemporaries and disciples; and ultimately reveals why despite finishing very few works, his celebrity has survived, even thrived, through five centuries of history.

Christopher Heath Brown, Jean-Pierre Isbouts (Author), P.J. Ochlan (Narrator)

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Ten Prayers That Changed the World: Extraordinary Stories of Faith That Shaped the Course of History

From time immemorial, prayer has provided comfort in our darkest hours, stirred us to action beyond what we thought possible, and shown us the way through seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this engaging tour of world history, author and historian Jean-Pierre Isbouts takes us on an inspiring tour of ten prayers that played a pivotal role in world events. The prayers range from the divine inspiration of Joan of Arc to Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress," from George Washington's prayerful words to the newly formed American states to the horrors of Auschwitz, and from Constantine the Great's prayer before battle to Gandhi's deeply moving prayer of peace. Ten Prayers That Changed the World delves into the moments in history when faith and prayer intersected with the course of mankind. "As a historian, Isbouts weighs the culture of ancient times against more modern thinking...Taking a secular tack, he leaves open-ended questions about whether these prayers were heard by a higher power-and what form that entity's response might take-while concluding that faith of all kinds makes the world a better place."-Publishers Weekly

Jean-Pierre Isbouts (Author), Adam Verner (Narrator)

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