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Miss Clara and the Celebrity Beast in Art, 1500–1860

Miss Clara and the Celebrity Beast in Art, 1500–1860

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Miss Clara and the Celebrity Beast in Art, 1500–1860

W034652 | $25.00 / 10% library disc.
Exhibition Catalog

Charles Avery et al. Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, 2021.

108 pp. Well illustrated (chiefly col.). 22 x 22 cm. In English. Paperbound.

ISBN 9781913645021

"Miss Clara" arrived in Europe from the Dutch East Indies in 1741 and was toured around Europe to huge acclaim and excitement. The first rhinoceros to be seen on mainland Europe since 1579, Clara quickly became an object of great wonder and affection. Her fame generated a massive industry in souvenirs and imagery, from life-size paintings by major masters to cheap popular prints. There were even Clara-inspired clocks and hairstyles. This book brings us the story of the phenomenon of Clara, with a particular focus on three-dimensional representations of her, set within the context of other celebrity pachyderms represented by artists between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. At the core of the book is a small bronze statue of Miss Clara held by the Barber Museum, where it is a favorite of visitors. Accompanying essays put the works in their proper historical and artistic context.

Subject Headings: Eastern and Western European Art ; Western Art -- 1600-1800 ; 1800-1900 -- Several Fine Arts Media (Western) --

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