Points of View

The world is constantly changing – but the big questions that preoccupy human beings remain the same. Kia Vahland takes a new look at the works of the Old Masters and finds that the themes they address are the same ones that concern us today. With her insightful and concise discussions of key works from the canon of Western art history, Vahland illustrates that Titian, Rembrandt, Caspar David Friedrich, Édouard Manet, Caravaggio, Vincent van Gogh, Lorenzo Lotto and Albrecht Dürer have plenty to say about the private and political issues that plague us in the 21st century. Their works tell stories about marrying for love, the desperation of being forced into exile, becoming a mother later in life, about the tensions between the rich and the poor, about freedom of speech, worries about the future, overly protective parents, hateful crowds, abuses of power, and even breastfeeding in public.

»The themes that Kia Vahland identifies in these old works represent timeless human concerns. Her short texts create a bridge between Rembrandt and Van Gogh and today’s art viewers.« Stefan Hauck, Börsenblatt

»She knows a great deal and she can really write. In this richly illustrated volume by Insel, Vahland takes a closer look at old paintings and investigates what we can find in them today.« Sven Stillich, ZEIT WISSEN

»Kia Vahland demonstrates to the reader that looking at old paintings allows us to better understand our own era [...] Approaching the beautiful can sometimes also help us to track down the good.« Johann Hinrich Claussen, chrismon