"Miller is an excellent historian...and a fine biographer.... [His] artful arrangement of his conclusions...makes the book something of an intellectual thriller."-- New York Times Book Review.
The most important scientist of the twentieth century and the most important artist had their periods of greatest creativity almost simultaneously and in remarkably similar circumstances.
This fascinating parallel biography of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso as young men examines their greatest creations--Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon and Einstein's special theory of relativity. Miller shows how these breakthroughs arose not only from within their respective fields but from larger currents in the intellectual culture of the times. Ultimately, Miller shows how Einstein and Picasso, in a deep and important sense, were both working on the same problem.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A NYT Review on the web, Used in College Course, and Picasso thoughts [...] I came to this book via interest in Picasso, and found my understanding of cubism, and its relation to the science of the day, were well rewarded by reading this book. I must assume no other book on Picasso has such a wealth of Picasso biographical detail as it relates to the field of science - the artists close to Picasso were indeed attempting to define in art terms what they knew were the currents of early 20th Century European scientific development, and how that science related to their... more info
Fascinating Comparisons This fascinating little book gives intriguing comparisons between art and science. Whether you are an artist or an engineer, you will gain insight into design with this book. I'd like more pictures, but there are plenty to help you visualize the ideas. Interesting stuff.
Don't Be Scared Mr.Miller is a phenomenal thinker! His observations are compelling and in-depth. Although you may think the subject matter is intimidating, he explains is all with incredible clarity. This book taught me a great deal - the information was accessable to the "non-scientist", and it really changed the way I look at the world. THANK YOU ARTHUR MILLER BRAVO!!!
Deeply inspiring for an artist After reading several books and essays on Picasso in the context of modern art movements, it was refreshing to read such a thoughtful and detailed review of Picasso's achievements from the perspective of how science, and the scientific achievements of his time, affected him and drove him to seek 'new dimensions' in his art. I admit as an art enthusiast I took greater interest in the Picasso chapters than the Einstein chapters, but was truly impressed by Miller's ability to dive so deeply into each of these... more info
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