David Bowie, a toned-down green, pink, red and brown cover to match. This is a foul. I was already fascinated by this book before even reading it. What about the author's brilliant writing in the preface? “It was May 2018. I was reading the book "The Legacy of My Father" by the American novelist Philip Roth…” The author's words, beginning with, deeply moved me. There was a time when I was frantically looking for good works and great artists. They were so different from the ordinary people around them. Their lives, which were so outstanding that they seemed special from birth, were generally not so easy. In fact, I thought that there were already enough books about artists who dominated an era in anthology form. However, there are reasons why you should choose this book. First, the selection of insightful artists. The book starts with David Bowie, then Aretha Franklin (although it is listed as "Alicesa Franklin" in the table of contents), Nijinsky, Leslie Cheung, Susan Valadon, Kurt Cobain, etc., of course, the people I once adored, and Zaha Hadid, Jun Itami, George Romero, and others, who are somewhat unfamiliar, are included, and their lives are depicted briefly but core. It was especially interesting to see Gustav Mahler go to Freud for counseling. Mahler marries the popular Alma Maria Schindler, 19 years younger than him, but they end up separating. I only knew about Lou Salome who captivated Rilke and Nietzsche, as a femme fatale (although it is listed as "팜파탈" in the book), but oh! I get to know another one. A search revealed that she was a woman who reigned as a muse for artists, as she had an affair with the painter Kokoschka, went through Walter Gropius, and married Franz Werfel for the third time. What about Basquiat's anecdote about Spleen? I wouldn't have known that Leslie Cheung's favorite movie was Gone With the Wind if it hadn't been for this book. In the Hokusai chapter, one phrase he left behind in his later years is so shocking that I think I will chew on it for a long time to come (what he said is on page 69 of the book!). Second, the charm of this book is, none other than the sense of introducing the work. Bill Evans's famous song "Waltz for Debby" was a hit the moment I heard it. Georgia O'Keeffe's painting "Red Canna" also shook my heart strongly. Even the illustration (P.30) that was drawn to ridicule Gustav Mahler seemed strangely beautiful, making me wonder if the artist's intention was really to ridicule him. Finally, the most decisive factor was the author's affection for the artist. Thanks to the delicate sentences that prove that he is looking at the artist with a heart that cherishes and loves him, I feel like I already liked the artist I had never known before. Well, now you have to read this book. Regardless of whether they are more famous or less famous, you will get a taste of the faces of those who were true to their "artist's work" through this book.
 
※ This review was written honestly after reading the book provided by Naver Culture Charge 200%. 
 
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