The ten essays in After the Wagnerian Bouillabaisse offer original critical discussions of some of the major European artists and movements in the twentieth century, beginning with important reassessments of Italian Futurism and the unique and disruptively consequential compounding of words and images in Dada and Surrealism. Welchman writes with verve and insight about the production, and circumvention, of affect in the work of Henri Matisse and Fernand Léger; the delirious splits and metaphorical ricochets fired up by Salvador Dalí; and the social and philosophical ideas mobilized by René Magritte. The second half of the volume examines mid- and later-twentieth century artists, offering a revisionist assessment of Hans Hartung; a new analysis of major themes and issues in the work of Antoni Tàpies; a meditation on “whiteness” in the practice and thinking of Günter Brus; and an exploration of exchanges between the US and the UK about sculpture between 1945 and the 1970s. The book concludes with an essay on the relations between writing and seeing in the work of Swiss artist Rémy Zaugg. The volume is the second in Welchman's series XX–XXI on European art from this and the last century.
The ten essays in After the Wagnerian Bouillabaisse offer original critical discussions of some of the major European artists and movements in the twentieth century, beginning with important reassessments of Italian Futurism and the unique and disruptively consequential compounding of words and images in Dada and Surrealism. Welchman writes with verve and insight about the production, and circumvention, of affect in the work of Henri Matisse and Fernand Léger; the delirious splits and metaphorical ricochets fired up by Salvador Dalí; and the social and philosophical ideas mobilized by René Magritte. The second half of the volume examines mid- and later-twentieth century artists, offering a revisionist assessment of Hans Hartung; a new analysis of major themes and issues in the work of Antoni Tàpies; a meditation on “whiteness” in the practice and thinking of Günter Brus; and an exploration of exchanges between the US and the UK about sculpture between 1945 and the 1970s. The book concludes with an essay on the relations between writing and seeing in the work of Swiss artist Rémy Zaugg. The volume is the second in Welchman's series XX–XXI on European art from this and the last century.
In celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month in June, we are sharing a collection of books by Caribbean American and Caribbean authors that includes fiction, memoir, non-fiction, and history. Find a full collection of titles here.
On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize
In June, we celebrate Black Music Appreciation month and the influential Black musicians and artists who have brought entertainment to their communities and beyond, and inspired others to make their own art. Collection of titles for Black Music Appreciation Month
In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live
