Does Modern Day Life Mirror 16th Century Art?

For Immediate Release - New York, New York - Chaucer Press Books, an imprint of Richard Altschuler and Associates, announces the 2007 publication date of Painting Life; The Art of Pieter Bruegel, The Elder. The book will be released in March of 2007. This is the second book by author Robert L. Bonn.

In Painting Life, Bonn shows how the "something more" contained in Bruegel's paintings conveys profound insights not only into the 16th century society in which Bruegel lived, but also into our 21st century life and times. Bonn explains that in looking at our social life through 36 of Bruegel’s paintings, we can see ourselves as we work, play, rejoice in life, engage in conflict with one another, and experience the folly of our humanity.

Painting Life is beautifully illustrated with color plates of Bruegel's art, providing the reader both a visual and an emotional experience. The book is organized around the cities where Bruegel's paintings hang including Madrid, Vienna, Antwerp, Brussels, Rome, Naples, San Diego, Prague, and others. Bonn incorporates his travel experiences into the narrative, both to offer insights into the life of these cities and to show how a painting's placement in a particular city often takes on a meaning of its own.

Painting Life simultaneously informs, enlightens, and entertains. Most important, it shows how contemporary viewers can look at paintings in such a way as to gain a new appreciation of an “Old Master.” An artist who painted works of such scope and power that they continue to engage our imagination more than four centuries after they were created.

Author Robert L. Bonn has had a lifelong interest in art, especially the paintings of Pieter Bruegel, The Elder. He has enjoyed a career in sociology as professor at City University of New York (CUNY). He has also conducted research on religion, education, and criminal justice; authored the noted textbook, Criminology (McGraw-Hill); and written critical book reviews, articles, and research reports. Bonn holds a B.A. from Columbia College and a Ph.D. from New York University. He divides his time between New York City and Rome and travels extensively.