Thunderclap : a memoir of art and life & sudden death
(Book - Regular Print)

Includes bibliographic references (pages 260-263).

"Featuring beautiful full-color images of Dutch paintings throughout, this stunning book about one of the most vibrant periods in European art and life is centered around the fascinating, little-known story of the Thunderclap - an enormous explosion in 1654 Holland that claimed the life of one of the greatest artists of the 17th century."

In 1654, an enormous explosion at a gunpowder store devastated the city of Delft, killing hundreds of people and injuring thousands more. Among those killed was the painter Carel Fabritius; his contemporary and rival Vermeer narrowly escaped death. Using Fabritius's life as a frame, Cumming weaves a sequence of observations about paintings and how they relate to everyday life. Like Dutch art itself, the story gradually links country, city, town, street, house, interior-- all the way to the bird on its perch, the blue and white tile, the smallest seed in a loaf of bread. The impact of a painting and how it can enter our thoughts, influence our views, and understanding of the world is the heart of this book. -- adapted from jacket