Surprise Castle
/Books/History/Thematical Histories/Art
Freud's Trip to Orvieto: The Great Doctor's Unresolved Confrontation with Antisemitism, Death, and Homoeroticism; His Passion for Paintings; An

Freud's Trip to Orvieto: The Great Doctor's Unresolved Confrontation with Antisemitism, Death, and Homoeroticism; His Passion for Paintings; An - Hardcover

$19.99
$26.99
-26%
Quantity
01

Pay over time for orders over $35.00 with

Availability:In StockContributor:Nicholas Fox WeberPublish date:2017-05-09Pages:352
Language:EnglishPublisher:Bellevue Literary PressISBN-13:9781942658269ISBN-10:1942658265UPC:9781942658269Book Category:Biography & Autobiography, Art, HistoryBook Subcategory:Social Scientists & Psychologists, History, JewishBook Topic:RenaissanceSize:9.10 x 6.20 x 1.20 inchesWeight:1.9511Product ID:SCHHMHMT5W

Freud's Trip to Orvieto: An Intellectual Mystery at the Intersection of Psychoanalysis and Renaissance Art

Nicholas Fox Weber's Freud's Trip to Orvieto investigates one of psychoanalysis's most famous mysteries: why Sigmund Freud, after encountering Luca Signorelli's magnificent frescoes at Orvieto's cathedral, could not recall the artist's name despite deeming the artwork the greatest he'd ever seen. This "Signorelli parapraxis" became a cornerstone example of Freud's theory of repressed memory, yet no one had examined the actual paintings for answers—until now.

Weber becomes the first scholar to analyze the Signorelli frescoes themselves as the key to understanding Freud's psychological block. What he discovers in these Renaissance masterpieces reveals unexpected dimensions of Freud's inner life, particularly his complex feelings about masculinity, Jewish identity, and sexuality. The frescoes' startling eroticism and confrontations with death and religious themes triggered repressions that Freud himself could not fully acknowledge.

A Personal Journey Through Memory and Art

This work transcends traditional biography. As Weber investigates Freud's psychological landscape, he weaves in his own memories and experiences, creating what the New Yorker calls "a freewheeling psychoanalytic document whose approach would surely delight the doctor." The narrative explores how visual art can provoke, destabilize, and awaken our deepest fears and desires—just as it did for Freud in that Italian cathedral.

John Banville praises the book as "at once profound and wonderfully diverse, and as gripping as any detective story," while Colm Tóibín highlights Weber's "intelligence, wit, and clear-eyed analysis not only of the paintings themselves, but how we respond to them in all their startling sexuality and invigorating beauty."

Language:EnglishPublisher:Bellevue Literary PressISBN-13:9781942658269ISBN-10:1942658265UPC:9781942658269Book Category:Biography & Autobiography, Art, HistoryBook Subcategory:Social Scientists & Psychologists, History, JewishBook Topic:RenaissanceSize:9.10 x 6.20 x 1.20 inchesWeight:1.9511Product ID:SCHHMHMT5W

Nicholas Fox Weber serves as director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and has authored fourteen books, including acclaimed biographies of Balthus and Le Corbusier. His writing appears regularly in the New Yorker, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Vogue. Weber brings his extensive knowledge of art history and psychoanalytic theory to this richly illustrated exploration of memory, identity, and artistic power.

Freud's Trip to Orvieto offers readers an intimate look at how great art affects us psychologically, examining antisemitism's impact on Jewish intellectuals, the interplay between homoeroticism and repression, and art's capacity to unlock buried memories. This hardcover edition from Bellevue Literary Press includes illustrations that bring Signorelli's provocative frescoes to life.

About the Author: Nicholas Fox Weber is the director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation and founder and president of Le Korsa, a nonprofit organization devoted to medical care, education, and the arts in isolated villages in rural Senegal. He is the author of fourteen books, including Freud's Trip to Orvieto, biographies of Balthus and Le Corbusier, and numerous exhibition catalogs. His writing has also appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, ARTnews, Town & Country, and Vogue, among other publications. He is married to the novelist Katharine Weber, has two adult daughters, and lives in Connecticut, Paris, and southwest Ireland.

Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press

Free shipping on orders over $75. Standard shipping takes 3-7 business days. Returns accepted within 30 days of purchase.

Recently Viewed

View All