The Spectacle of Skill ― New and Selected Writings of Robert Hughes

A selection of the best writing by the most important--and thunderously outspoken--art and culture critic of our time, including approximately 125 never-before-seen pages from the unfinished second volume of his memoir, which he was working on at the time of his death in 2012. With an introduction by Adam Gopnik.

Robert Hughes wrote with brutal honesty about art, architecture, culture, religion, and himself. He translated his passions onto the page brilliantly, convincingly, and with vitality and immediacy, always holding himself to the same rigorous standards of skill, authenticity, and significance as he did his subjects. There never was, and never will be again, a voice like his. In this volume, his voice rings clear through a gathering of some of his most unforgettable writings, culled from nine of his most widely read and important books: The Shock of the New, Fatal Shore, Nothing if Not Critical, Barcelona, American Visions, A Jerk on One End, Goya, Things I Didn't Know, andRome. Spanning thirty years, this selection shows his enormous range, and gives us a uniquely cohesive view of both the critic and the man. Most revealing will be the approximately 125 pages of new material from the unfinished second volume of his memoirs.

ROBERT HUGHES was born in Australia in 1938. In 1970 he moved to the United States to become chief art critic for Time, a position he held until 2001. His books includeThe Shock of the New, The Fatal Shore, Nothing if Not Critical,The Culture of Complaint, Barcelona, Goya, Things I Didn't Know, andRome. He is a New York Public Library Literary Lion, and was the recipient of a number of literary awards and prizes, including a two-time recipient of the Frank Jewett-Mather Award. He is widely held as the most respected art critic of our time.