David Bowie, the cover is a toned-down green, pink, red, and brown that suits him. This is a foul. I was already captivated by this book before I even read it. What about the author's brilliant writing style in the preface? "It was May 2018. I was reading American novelist Philip Roth's book, The Legacy of My Father..." The author's words, which begin with, "I was deeply moved in a strange way. There was a time when I was frantically looking for good works and great artists. They are so different from ordinary people around me. Their lives, which seem to be special from birth because they are so good, are generally not so easy. In fact, I thought there were already as many books as there were that dealt with artists who dominated an era in the form of an anthology. However, the reasons why I should choose this book are as follows. First of all, discerning artist selection. The book starts with David Bowie and includes Aretha Franklin (although it is listed as Aresa Franklin in the table of contents), Nijinsky, Leslie Cheung, Susan Valadon, Kurt Cobain, and other people I used to be obsessed with, as well as Zaha Hadid, Jun Ishigami, George Romero, and other relatively unfamiliar figures, and depicts their lives briefly but concisely. I found it particularly interesting that Gustav Mahler went to see Freud for counseling. Mahler marries Alma Maria Schindler (Alma Schindler), a popular girl 19 years younger than him, but they eventually break up. I only knew Lou Salomé, who was a femme fatale (although it is listed as "femme fatale" in the book) who captivated Rilke and Nietzsche, but oh! Here I find another one. I searched and found that she dated the painter Kokoschka, went through Walter Gropius, and then married Franz Werfel for the third time, making her the muse of artists. What about Basquiat's story about Spleen? I didn't know until this book that Leslie Cheung's favorite movie was "Gone with the Wind." In the Hokusai section, I found one of his last words to be so shocking that I think I will be chewing on it for a long time to come (what he said is on page 69 of the book!) Secondly, this book's charm is none other than its tasteful introduction to works. I immediately loved Bill Evans's famous song. Georgia O'Keeffe's painting "Red Canna" also powerfully shook my heart. Even the illustrations (P. 30) that were supposedly drawn to mock Gustav Mahler seemed strangely beautiful, making me wonder if the artist's intention was truly mockery. Finally, what was most decisive was the author's affection for the artist. Thanks to the delicate sentences that prove that the author is looking at the artist with love and care, I felt like I already liked the artists I learned about for the first time. So, you should read this book now. Regardless of whether they are more famous or less famous, you will get a taste of the lives of those who were true to their "artist's work" through this book.
 
※ This review is written honestly after reading a book provided by Naver Culture Recharge 200%. 
 
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