| Abstract: | Abstract The figure of the accomplished artist in one medium who develops an expertise in another always attracts interest, whether in a sense of amazement over so much energy, or in a sense of relief that even a virtuoso can be an amateur. One thinks ofEinstein and his violin, Gottfried Keller and his painting, William Thackeray and his caricatures, and many others. Emile Zola, Photograph presents us with a handsomely produced addition to this list, but the main role of this book is, of course, to fill another niche in the Zola shrine. Relatively little technical information is giveu, and one suspects that the primary audience was intended to be Zola admirers, lay as well as professional. Although there are several biographical sketches, the reader not familiar with Zola's life will not be able to appreciate the book fully, particularly since Zola's passion for photography developed only near the end of his life. |
