An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter (New Directions Paperbook)

Synopsis

Inspired by the life of the nineteenth-century German painter Johann Moritz Rugendas, An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter imagines the transformative journey that forever altered both the artist and his work. Travelling across Argentina in search of landscapes capable of expressing the immensity of the natural world, Rugendas pursues an artistic vision shaped by the scientific ideas of Alexander von Humboldt. A catastrophic accident on the pampas changes the course of his life, forcing him to confront beauty, violence, and the limits of perception.

Blending history, philosophy, and fiction, César Aira's novel is a meditation on art, nature, and the creative act itself. Compact, dreamlike, and intellectually exhilarating, it is one of Aira's most celebrated works.

About the Author

César Aira is one of Argentina's most acclaimed contemporary writers and the author of more than one hundred books. Renowned for his inventive, genre-defying fiction, his work has been translated into dozens of languages and has earned an international readership for its originality and imagination. An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter is translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews.

Publisher
New Directions

Publication Date
May 17, 2006

Format
Paperback

Pages
128

Subjects
Literary Fiction · Translated Fiction · Argentine Literature · Historical Fiction · Art

ISBN
9780811216302