The artist, at least according to Honore de Balzac, is at work when he seems to be at rest; his labor is not labor but repose. This observation provides a model for modern artists and their relationship to both their place of work--the studio--and what they do there. Examining the complex relationship between process, product, artistic identity, and the artist's studio--in all its various manifestations--the contributors to this volume consider the dichotomy between conceptual and material aspects of art production. The essays here also explore the studio as a form of inspiration, meaning,...

This book offers trans-historical and trans-national perspectives on the image of "the artist" as a public figure in the popular discourse and imagination. Since the rise of notions of artistic autonomy and the simultaneous demise of old systems of patronage from the late eighteenth century onwards, artists have increasingly found themselves confronted with the necessity of developing a public persona. In the same period, new audiences for art discovered their fascination for the life and work of the artist. The rise of new media such as the illustrated press, photography and film meant that...