The Art of Darkness: A Treasury of the Morbid, Melancholic and Macabre
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- Create Date：2022-12-24 09:51:55
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：S. Elizabeth
- ISBN：0711269203
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Summary
The Art of Darkness is a visually rich sourcebook featuring eclectic artworks from throughout history which have been inspired and informed by the morbid， melancholic and macabre。
Throughout history， artists have been obsessed with darkness – creating works that haunt and horrify， mesmerise and delight and play on our innermost fears。 Gentileschi took revenge with paint in Judith Slaying Holofernes while Bosch depicted fearful visions of Hell that still beguile。
Victorian Britain became strangely obsessed with the dead and in Norway Munch explored anxiety and fear in one of the most famous paintings in the world （The Scream， 1893）。 Today， the Chapman Brothers， Damien Hirst and Louise Bourgeois， as well as many lesser known artists working in the margins， are still drawn to all that is macabre。
From Dreams & Nightmares to Matters of Mortality， Depravity & Destruction to Gods & Monsters – this book introduces sometimes disturbing and often beautiful artworks that indulge our greatest fears， uniting us as humans from century to century。
But， while these themes might scare us – can’t they also be heartening and beautiful？ Exploring and examining the artworks with thoughtful and evocative text， S。 Elizabeth offers insight into each artist’s influences and inspirations， asking what comfort can be found in facing our demons？Why are we tempted by fear and the grotesque？ And what does this tell us about the human mind？
Of course， sometimes there is no good that can come from the sensibilities of darkness and the sickly shivers and sensations they evoke。 These are uncomfortable feelings， and we must sit for a while with these shadows – from the safety of our armchairs。
Artists covered include Pablo Picasso， Georgia O'Keeffe， Francisco de Goya， Leonora Carrington， John Everett Millais， Tracey Emin， Vincent van Gogh， Barbara Hepworth， Paul Cezanne and Salvador Dalí， as well as scores more。 With over 200carefully curated artworks from across the centuries， The Art of Darkness examines all that is dark in a bid to haunt and hearten。
This book is part of the Art in the Margins series， following up on The Art of the Occult， which investigates representations of the mystical， esoteric and occult in art from across different times and cultures。
Throughout history， artists have been obsessed with darkness – creating works that haunt and horrify， mesmerise and delight and play on our innermost fears。 Gentileschi took revenge with paint in Judith Slaying Holofernes while Bosch depicted fearful visions of Hell that still beguile。
Victorian Britain became strangely obsessed with the dead and in Norway Munch explored anxiety and fear in one of the most famous paintings in the world （The Scream， 1893）。 Today， the Chapman Brothers， Damien Hirst and Louise Bourgeois， as well as many lesser known artists working in the margins， are still drawn to all that is macabre。
From Dreams & Nightmares to Matters of Mortality， Depravity & Destruction to Gods & Monsters – this book introduces sometimes disturbing and often beautiful artworks that indulge our greatest fears， uniting us as humans from century to century。
But， while these themes might scare us – can’t they also be heartening and beautiful？ Exploring and examining the artworks with thoughtful and evocative text， S。 Elizabeth offers insight into each artist’s influences and inspirations， asking what comfort can be found in facing our demons？Why are we tempted by fear and the grotesque？ And what does this tell us about the human mind？
Of course， sometimes there is no good that can come from the sensibilities of darkness and the sickly shivers and sensations they evoke。 These are uncomfortable feelings， and we must sit for a while with these shadows – from the safety of our armchairs。
Artists covered include Pablo Picasso， Georgia O'Keeffe， Francisco de Goya， Leonora Carrington， John Everett Millais， Tracey Emin， Vincent van Gogh， Barbara Hepworth， Paul Cezanne and Salvador Dalí， as well as scores more。 With over 200carefully curated artworks from across the centuries， The Art of Darkness examines all that is dark in a bid to haunt and hearten。
This book is part of the Art in the Margins series， following up on The Art of the Occult， which investigates representations of the mystical， esoteric and occult in art from across different times and cultures。
Reviews
Bennor
，
The first art book I've had more than a cursory flip through the pages of。 Despite criticism from other readers claiming the chosen artwork was obvious， there was was more than enough here to fascinate and entertain my art ignorant mind。My only complaint is that I'm sure there are plenty more examples that could have been shared。 The first art book I've had more than a cursory flip through the pages of。 Despite criticism from other readers claiming the chosen artwork was obvious， there was was more than enough here to fascinate and entertain my art ignorant mind。My only complaint is that I'm sure there are plenty more examples that could have been shared。 。。。more
A。
，
I love love love this book！ So creative。 If you like dark academia and art history， this is for you！ I won this in a giveaway， and I was so impressed with the little things the author did to make this book even more special: a signed bookplate， a fun sticker， and a postcard featuring the cover art。 I will definitely be purchasing other books that come out by this author。
Maika
，
There is so much extraordinary art in the world。 How's that for an understatement？ It's true nonetheless。 There is so much art that it can feel overwhelming to even know where to begin looking for what speaks to you， what touches your heart （and what breaks it）， what stirs long untouched memories， what chills you to your marrow， what incites your desire to participate in an activist movement， what sets your mind ablaze with ideas of your own。Having a guide to help illuminate the myriad paths to There is so much extraordinary art in the world。 How's that for an understatement？ It's true nonetheless。 There is so much art that it can feel overwhelming to even know where to begin looking for what speaks to you， what touches your heart （and what breaks it）， what stirs long untouched memories， what chills you to your marrow， what incites your desire to participate in an activist movement， what sets your mind ablaze with ideas of your own。Having a guide to help illuminate the myriad paths to the multitude of styles， let alone innumerable artists themselves， is a priceless gift。 In her two （soon to be three） books， S。 Elizabeth has does even more than provide us with insightful and relatable guides to the themes， artistic styles， and artists shared within their respective covers。 Each piece of art， each artist shared therein is also a doorway through which you may choose to pass and embark on endless explorations of your own。 Dante had Virgil。 You have S。 Elizabeth。 And I cannot imagine a finer guide through the labyrinthine darkness of artistic self-expression。 Here the intricate intertwinings of creativity， the human psyche， and the inescapable， multitudinous dark form a matryoshka of shadows。 Here there be monsters， but you need not beware。 For， as you shall learn within these pages， we are each part and parcel of the dark。 。。。more
Anna-Maria
，
A concise introduction， not an extensive analysis of the dark side of art， which has held humanity's attention for millenia and will certainly continue to move goths and normies alike。 This is a lovely line-up of classic and modern artists， who explore the themes we avoid in our everyday lives: death， decay， and disease。 The thematic structure of each chapter is very clever， although I would have wished for more analytical reviews of the individual pieces shown in this book。 It has nonetheless s A concise introduction， not an extensive analysis of the dark side of art， which has held humanity's attention for millenia and will certainly continue to move goths and normies alike。 This is a lovely line-up of classic and modern artists， who explore the themes we avoid in our everyday lives: death， decay， and disease。 The thematic structure of each chapter is very clever， although I would have wished for more analytical reviews of the individual pieces shown in this book。 It has nonetheless succeeded in whetting my appetite for some more advanced research into the macabre through some artwork I had never seen before。 Brava！ Again， but next time with more detail， please。***I received a digital copy from the publisher through Netgalley and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。*** 。。。more
Juli Rahel
，
Last year I read The Art of the Occult by S。 Elizabeth and it became on of my favourite reads。 Not only is it a beautiful book， beautifully designed and laid out， it is also full of stunning art and insightful commentary。 So of course I wondered whether S。 Elizabeth would be able to replicate this for The Art of Darkness。 I am very happy to report that yes， she did。 Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest re Last year I read The Art of the Occult by S。 Elizabeth and it became on of my favourite reads。 Not only is it a beautiful book， beautifully designed and laid out， it is also full of stunning art and insightful commentary。 So of course I wondered whether S。 Elizabeth would be able to replicate this for The Art of Darkness。 I am very happy to report that yes， she did。 Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。Darkness is a very intriguing thing。 Not to flog a dead cliché， but without darkness would we appreciate the light？ Further， darkness has a way of making us confront both our inherent loneliness and the fear of not being alone。 When it's just you， in the dark， there is no way to avoid yourself。 But what if it is not just you， what if there is something else in the dark。 What does that other look like？ What shape do we give things like 'fear'， 'nightmare'， 'horror'， 'anxiety'， 'dread'？ This book features all 'these anxieties and aversions， tensions and terrors that transcend time and which have long plagued our psyches' （Introduction， 9） and yet there is also a lot of beauty in these pages。 The Art of Darkness shows that in many ways the dark can be as， if not more， inspiring than the light。 Through her work， S。 Elizabeth inspires and encourages her reader to connect with their darknes and thereby take some of its power away。The Art of Darkness is split into four parts， which are then divided into three chapters each。 The first 'It's All in Your Mind' tracks the way dreams， anxieties， and voices in the dark affect us。 It features Hieronymus Bosch' terrifying The Garden of Earthly Delights but also Frida Kahlo's stunning The Wounded Deer。 Our own mind can be a place of terror and beauty， and often those two go hand in hand。 The second part， 'The Human Condition'， considers the darkness of human life， from disease to depravity to death。 Whether it is the grotesque tragedy of George Grosz' The Funeral or creeping horror of Odilon Redon's Perversity， human traits and human bodies can be a major site of darkness and distress。 Part Three， 'The World Around Us'， is perhaps my favourite part， specifically the chapter called 'Darkness in Bloom'。 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Dorothea Tanning struck me in its straightforward yet terrifying imagery。 Animals also feature， and I conitnue to be attracted and repulsed by Louise Bourgeois' sculpture Maman。 Google it， seriously！ Landscapes are also a major focus of darkness and I loved thepieces she selected for this chapter。 Especially The Great Day of his Wrath by John Martin shook me。 The final part， 'Visions from Beyond'， considers the divine， the unseen but felt， the fairies and the ghouls。 Marci Washington's Through the Thinnest of Veils is a stunning image of darkness brought to light by a white shroud， while the woodblock print Takiyasha the Witch nd the Skeleton Spectre by Utagawa Kuniyoshi speaks of darkness through its vivid colours。What I continue to appreciate about S。 Elizabeth's collection of art is that she looks beyond the classics， beyond the well-known works。 She frequently features current and contemporary artists， as well as different mediums of art。 As such， there is always something new and surprising to discover in the pages of her books， even to those relatively in-touch with art。 Her introductions and discussions of the art pieces are also very direct and calm， approachable and never condescending。 Through her writing it becomes clear that art is meant as a service as well， that art is not just something beautiful but also something that can assist you。 While The Art of Darkness covers difficult topics and also features some art that's on the gruesome side， it is never gratuitous or sensationalist。 The book also features further reading and an excellent index， which allows readers to dig a little further or return to specific pieces。 The design of the physical book is also beautiful。 Different page colours indicate chapter headings or introductory texts， which helps the reader navigate。 The paintings， photos and sculptures are beautifully reproduced in all their vibrancy or darkness。 I must also say I adore the font of the book。 Masumi Briozzo has， in short， done a great job on the design。 I do hope S。 Elizabeth continues to create such stunning books because she has most definitely broadened my view， my understanding of art， and my appreciation of the dark。The Art of Darkness is a very enjoyable read。 Not only is the art absolutely stunning and well-selected， but S。 Elizabeth is also an excellent guide through the dark。 I would recommend this to anyone with a taste for darkness or an eye for beauty。 And no， that is not contradictory。URL: https://universeinwords。blogspot。com/。。。 。。。more
Alan D。D。
，
I felt the concept was appealing and interesting， but the execution was not what I expected。 As much as I tried and re/read certain paragraphs， I couldn't connect with the reading， didn't feel any kind of interested， and decided to abandon it at page 73。 Not being an art student， I wasn't familiar with the included pieces， but I couldn't understand what was it that made them so relevant， either。 I felt the concept was appealing and interesting， but the execution was not what I expected。 As much as I tried and re/read certain paragraphs， I couldn't connect with the reading， didn't feel any kind of interested， and decided to abandon it at page 73。 Not being an art student， I wasn't familiar with the included pieces， but I couldn't understand what was it that made them so relevant， either。 。。。more
Caspar Williams
，
Looks interesting。 But it's a bad sign when there's a mistake on one of just four spreads that have been released for publicity。 The picture on page 72 is apparently called "[need title]"。 Looks interesting。 But it's a bad sign when there's a mistake on one of just four spreads that have been released for publicity。 The picture on page 72 is apparently called "[need title]"。 。。。more
Dorie
，
#netgalley #ArtOfDarknessThanks to Netgalley， S。 Elizabeth and Francis Lincoln Publishing for sending this AOP e-book for review。By confronting our fears and our inhibitions， we can become more aware of ourselves。 In this book and collection of artwork， we look at the themes that are dark， intense and horrifying; but also very masterful and beautiful， and can help to bring our fears into the open。Beautifully written and formatted， I enjoyed the exploration of Dreams + Nightmares， mortality， Doom #netgalley #ArtOfDarknessThanks to Netgalley， S。 Elizabeth and Francis Lincoln Publishing for sending this AOP e-book for review。By confronting our fears and our inhibitions， we can become more aware of ourselves。 In this book and collection of artwork， we look at the themes that are dark， intense and horrifying; but also very masterful and beautiful， and can help to bring our fears into the open。Beautifully written and formatted， I enjoyed the exploration of Dreams + Nightmares， mortality， Doom + Destruction。 We can connect with the feelings and anguish of this artwprk， and the choice of artwork included is excellent。 Artists with very different styles and time periods are included， and fear in its amny manifestations were well represented and masterful。Artists from Bosch， deChirico， and Fuseli to Basquiant， Charlie Harper and Amy Earle are just a few of the many included here。Absolutely fascinating。 The text foreach art piece is as captivating as the art work itself and I could not put this down。 Hifhly recommended 。。。more
Em
，
I cannot wait to buy this in hardback the second it comes out！The Art of Darkness is a fantastic collection of art， it’s both intriguing and accessible; just so， so fascinating。I am genuinely so excited about this book， it would be a brilliant gift for any art lover but prior art knowledge really isn’t necessary due to S。 Elizabeth’s writing: it’s not at all pretentious and is extremely informative and understandable。 I highly recommend！
plainzt
，
The author attempts to analyze the darkness that exists in the human psyche and presents itself as fear， terror， horror， etc。 with the aid of artwork that is full of gloomy themes and images as well as allusions from numerous thinkers， poets， writers， and painters。 For newcomers like myself， this book would adequately introduce the highlighted artworks。 The accompanying written information， meanwhile， was a little disappointing。 Since this is nonfiction about art and photography， I was hoping th The author attempts to analyze the darkness that exists in the human psyche and presents itself as fear， terror， horror， etc。 with the aid of artwork that is full of gloomy themes and images as well as allusions from numerous thinkers， poets， writers， and painters。 For newcomers like myself， this book would adequately introduce the highlighted artworks。 The accompanying written information， meanwhile， was a little disappointing。 Since this is nonfiction about art and photography， I was hoping the author would sound a little more educated。 The depth I was seeking for was seriously lacking in various sections of the writing。 We see the sentences such as; Shit happens。 Pain is pain， feelings are feelings。 However， I appreciated the information。Finally， I believe that reading this book in physical form is the greatest way to really appreciate it。 It was challenging to move between different sites' descriptions and photographs。Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion， for providing an ARC of this book for reviewers。 。。。more
LX
，
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review。3。5 stars！I really love art and looking at the darker side of it。 The author really breaks down well known pieces and what they represent， information about the art itself along with the artists。 The chapters are also broken down into certain themes。 I would have loved even more art examples shown by unknown artists and even a deeper dive into other mediums such as photography as only a few examples were given。 Regardless I enjoyed re Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review。3。5 stars！I really love art and looking at the darker side of it。 The author really breaks down well known pieces and what they represent， information about the art itself along with the artists。 The chapters are also broken down into certain themes。 I would have loved even more art examples shown by unknown artists and even a deeper dive into other mediums such as photography as only a few examples were given。 Regardless I enjoyed reading it and looking at the artwork。 If the author decides to do another collection purely focused on photography I will definitely give it a read。 。。。more
Janelle
，
A great collection of art reflecting the darker side from disease and death， mental illness to nightmares， the human condition，war， gods and ghosts and monsters。 There’s some obvious choices （Munch， Fuseli， Bosch， Dali） to lesser known pieces of well known artists （eg The Somnambulist by Millais）。 Classic painting in all sorts of styles， photography， contemporary art and sculpture （favourite sculpture featured : Maman， a giant spider by Louise Bourgeois）。 Some pieces I liked:‘Woman Leaving the P A great collection of art reflecting the darker side from disease and death， mental illness to nightmares， the human condition，war， gods and ghosts and monsters。 There’s some obvious choices （Munch， Fuseli， Bosch， Dali） to lesser known pieces of well known artists （eg The Somnambulist by Millais）。 Classic painting in all sorts of styles， photography， contemporary art and sculpture （favourite sculpture featured : Maman， a giant spider by Louise Bourgeois）。 Some pieces I liked:‘Woman Leaving the Psychoanalyst’ by Remedios Varo 1960‘Ghosts in the Tree’ Franz Sedlacek 1933‘At the Park Gate’ John Atkinson Grimshaw 1875 。。。more
Mary Rose
，
Many thanks to White Lion Publishing for the review copy。This is a perfectly fine book for what it sets out to do: to show you spooky artworks。 I think it would make a great gift for someone darkly inclined， or on a coffee table。 It has dozens of artworks inside of it， mostly European and American， but with a scattered few from other continents， and largely from the last 400 years。 The artworks are grouped thematically （It's All In Your Mind， The Human Condition， The World Around Us， and Visions Many thanks to White Lion Publishing for the review copy。This is a perfectly fine book for what it sets out to do: to show you spooky artworks。 I think it would make a great gift for someone darkly inclined， or on a coffee table。 It has dozens of artworks inside of it， mostly European and American， but with a scattered few from other continents， and largely from the last 400 years。 The artworks are grouped thematically （It's All In Your Mind， The Human Condition， The World Around Us， and Visions from Beyond） with a little essay at the beginning and captions for each artwork。 I found the essays mostly insipid， and the captions for each artwork were very basic， almost Wikipedia level。 The book sacrifices true understanding and learning in favor of shallow spookiness。 A good example of this is Maman by Louise Bourgeois， an enormous sculpture of a spider。 The caption of this image mentions arachnophobia and a "powerful physical and emotional shadow，" and it's inclusion in this book suggests that the sculpture is dark。 But this totally ignores Louise Bourgeois's own interpretation of her work as a portrait of her mother， as a weaver， as a protective force。 It's not a dark work， but you won't know that from Elizabeth's caption。 Side note: This passage also contains a glaring error: "So massive that it can only be installed outdoors，" is false。 Editions of Maman have been installed indoors on multiple occasions。 So take the factual accuracy of this book with a grain of salt。 Again， we are here for vibes， not for learning。 Another example of non-learning is in a caption for one of Paul Koudounaris's photographs of St。 Valterius。 In the caption Elizabeth explains Koudounaris's background and then says "For his series Heavenly Bodies， Koudounaris was able to gain unprecedented access to various religious institutions and it reveals an intriguing visual history of the veneration in European churches and monasteries of bejewelled and decorated skeletons。" No where in this caption does it even mention what a catacomb saint is。 It's just so shallow， you can't learn anything from these paragraphs。 Conclusion: this is a book to be flipped through， not to be read。 。。。more
Renee Godding
，
I always feel bad for rating any book this low， especially when they haven’t gotten many reviews yet， so my voice will sound extra loud。 That being said; I couldn’t justify a higher rating， as I truly didn’t enjoy this collection and wouldn’t have finished it if it weren’t for this review。 The Art of Darkness is a selection of artwork， bound together by the theme of darkness and the macabre that has facinated artists since the dawn of time。 It features paintings， sculptures and more， from ancien I always feel bad for rating any book this low， especially when they haven’t gotten many reviews yet， so my voice will sound extra loud。 That being said; I couldn’t justify a higher rating， as I truly didn’t enjoy this collection and wouldn’t have finished it if it weren’t for this review。 The Art of Darkness is a selection of artwork， bound together by the theme of darkness and the macabre that has facinated artists since the dawn of time。 It features paintings， sculptures and more， from ancient classics to modern art， accompanied by the authors thematical insights and background information。 Although I enjoyed the concept and the featured artworks， the collection as a whole felt stunningly surface-level。 The majority of the works featured are by very well known Western artist， so if you took a high school art-history class anywhere in the USA or Europe， you’re probably already familiar with the majority of them。 The accompanying text as well felt very supervicial and “high-school-level”。 This might work well as an introductory collection， but as a piece of non-fiction advertized to explore such a specific theme in art in more depth， it wasn’t what I was expecting。 Missed opportunities in both terms of depth （with the background information）， as well as range （concerning the cultural backgrounds， styles， and level of fame of the artists）。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 The Art of Darkness will be out in stores from September 20th 2022 onwards。 。。。more
Theediscerning
，
Ranging from the classical and ancient （your Bosch is by no means the earliest artist here） to 2021’s up-and-comers， creating things like pointedly decorated knuckle-dusters， this book is a wonderful invented gallery’s fictional catalogue。 Introductory essays of just a page or three， and decently written notices for all the artworks only seem to scratch the surface of how we have presented death， depression， rape victims， bus crash victims， and so on。 Visually， everything is here from the most c Ranging from the classical and ancient （your Bosch is by no means the earliest artist here） to 2021’s up-and-comers， creating things like pointedly decorated knuckle-dusters， this book is a wonderful invented gallery’s fictional catalogue。 Introductory essays of just a page or three， and decently written notices for all the artworks only seem to scratch the surface of how we have presented death， depression， rape victims， bus crash victims， and so on。 Visually， everything is here from the most colourful expressionist piece to the single canvas that uses more black than， say， Joseph Wright of Derby used in his lifetime。 While few are the pieces you’d actually want on your walls， unless you were as afflicted as the subjects， this is still worthwhile and really eye-opening， from a skeletal van Gogh to a Tracey Emin that is for once neither offensive nor offensively bad。 For doing the completely unlikely， then， this grim survey of the spectral， the ensorceled and the downright syphilitic is well worth consideration。Except… The very phrase about the “heart-wrenching pain of the sudden death of someone you love” was used by some bloke’s blog in October 2018， so what the heck it’s doing here word for word describing the very same painting is beyond me。 We have to hope our author also edited the wikipedia page for “Anguish” by Schenk， and not that she used it nearly verbatim for a key book。 And when we get to Frances Pelzman Liscio， we see she completely misquotes the creator’s LinkedIn page， for the artist uses the clients’ “relics， botanical items， and personal mementos”， not her own。Having the tendrils to grope through the world of art and find so many pieces I didn’t know is one thing， and is to be highly lauded。 But to have so many instances of plagiarism （and I certainly didn’t spend the day googling all the artworks， although rest assured I found the above instances of cribbing in well under five minutes each） is really not。 Read this cover to cover and it’s blatantly obvious the notes about each art work are in such disparate styles they’re clearly not by the same hand。 So I’m crying foul on this – I’m ditching a book I was close to loving， and finding remarkable in scope。 To represent all the artworks is one thing， to re-present other people’s writing about them is another altogether。 。。。more
Laura N。
，
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher， I really appreciate it！This is a beautiful book。 I hope I can get it in hardcover someday。 The artwork is fantastic， and I learned a lot about the artists and their experiences with the world。 Although， I would have liked to see more Latin American and African artists and Asian artists from different countries， not only Japanese。
ace
，
I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。This book is perfect for everyone who is drawn to the dark and macabre portrayed in art。 I loved the different art styles， mediums， and artist portrayed here。 There is a good mix of better-known artists and ones I had never heard of before。 Definitely a book I will be picking up again in the future to browse through some of the art works。
Kalis +
，
This book is a wide collection of art that all fall under the category “dark art”。 This is a very broad term for art as it can mean a lot of different things， and this book does an excellent job at capturing lots of different types！I really enjoyed scrolling through this book and seeing all the different art pieces， i adore dark art。 The blurbs that go along with each piece are really insightful into the background of the art as well！I’d definitely recommend this to any dark art lovers！！
Crystal
，
Have you ever had a book you didn’t know you needed and then the moment you picked it up， you weren’t sure how you’d ever lived without it？ I’ve had many works of fiction hit me like that， but The Art of Darkness is the first art book I’ve had those kinds of feelings about。 If you love Halloween， the creepy， the macabre， or the just plain weird， this book may be for you。 Go on an adventure through the human psyche and the different and bizarre ways ideas， people， and things have been envisioned Have you ever had a book you didn’t know you needed and then the moment you picked it up， you weren’t sure how you’d ever lived without it？ I’ve had many works of fiction hit me like that， but The Art of Darkness is the first art book I’ve had those kinds of feelings about。 If you love Halloween， the creepy， the macabre， or the just plain weird， this book may be for you。 Go on an adventure through the human psyche and the different and bizarre ways ideas， people， and things have been envisioned over time。 Some of these images are disturbing， some are awe inspiring， and some are just plain creepy， but all of them are powerful。I can see myself pulling this book out over and over just to contemplate a painting or drawing。 Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion for the digital ARC of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Courtney Townill
，
This book is a feast for the eyes of spooky people everywhere。 S。 Elizabeth guides us through the history of dark art， exploring themes of mental illness， bodily afflictions， death， ghosts， and more。 There are so many incredible works of art in these pages， and S。 Elizabeth’s fun and conversational tone is far from the pretentiousness and dryness that can be prevalent in art history books。 With there being art from 2021 and mentions of the state of our current world， I do wish there had been an This book is a feast for the eyes of spooky people everywhere。 S。 Elizabeth guides us through the history of dark art， exploring themes of mental illness， bodily afflictions， death， ghosts， and more。 There are so many incredible works of art in these pages， and S。 Elizabeth’s fun and conversational tone is far from the pretentiousness and dryness that can be prevalent in art history books。 With there being art from 2021 and mentions of the state of our current world， I do wish there had been an exploration into protest art and the darkness of systematic racism and violence in our modern world。 Overall， fascinating book！ 。。。more
Tori
，
While my full review will be up soon， I needed to take a moment to tell you that you do in fact need this book。 You need to pour over the pages for inspiration when writing your gothic novel。 S。 Elizabeth not only chooses incredible and thoughtful pieces， her comments are smart and occasionally hilarious。 Well done。
J Earl
，
The Art of Darkness by S Elizabeth is a wonderful glimpse at art that falls under the broad umbrella of dark。This book is exactly what I was hoping it would be， a book about the art with some theory thrown in to contextualize it。 Nothing against art history or art theory books that focus on explanation and use just enough illustration to show their point。 If you have read several such books， or just aren't that interested in the theory （art or psychological）， this book offers more of the artwork The Art of Darkness by S Elizabeth is a wonderful glimpse at art that falls under the broad umbrella of dark。This book is exactly what I was hoping it would be， a book about the art with some theory thrown in to contextualize it。 Nothing against art history or art theory books that focus on explanation and use just enough illustration to show their point。 If you have read several such books， or just aren't that interested in the theory （art or psychological）， this book offers more of the artworks themselves。 Where， in those other books you would get a paragraph about a specific work and， hopefully， have a plate nearby to look at， the info is in the caption to the plate。 The brief introductory sections of each chapter give a nice broad explanation of why the works that follow are connected。There is a short， but actually quite good， list for further reading in the back。 So this can serve as a springboard for more research。 Additionally， with the many resources available， it isn't hard to look online for even more specific material about artists or ideas mentioned in the book。While most of the usual artists who have made dark art are mentioned I was pleased that it wasn't always the most common work that was shown。 I really liked the other book in the series， The Art of the Occult， but I think I may have enjoyed this one more。 Though it is a close call。 While the occult may or may not speak personally to every reader （even while opening up a lot of interpretive space） these works of darkness speak more personally to the reader/viewer。 We have all had nightmares or anxieties or other fears。 In some ways， and definitely in my case， these speak to me more intimately。Highly recommended for anyone from those well-versed in art and art history to those who just like to look at art and think about it。 The illustrations are excellent， and the captions give a wonderful snapshot of the context。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Jurga
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It is what it says on the cover - the book for dark art lovers。 I love the idea of it and overall it looks executed really well。 I have seen quite a few familiar names and works but it was also refreshing to see some very current （we're talking year 2020-2021） pieces of work。 I have to admit since I have seen this book as an ebook （courtesy of Netgalley and Quarto Books）， the viewing experience was not excellent。 It's not just a book of text， it has a lot of pictures， so for example， viewing pic It is what it says on the cover - the book for dark art lovers。 I love the idea of it and overall it looks executed really well。 I have seen quite a few familiar names and works but it was also refreshing to see some very current （we're talking year 2020-2021） pieces of work。 I have to admit since I have seen this book as an ebook （courtesy of Netgalley and Quarto Books）， the viewing experience was not excellent。 It's not just a book of text， it has a lot of pictures， so for example， viewing pictures of double spread is not great because。。。 well， you just can't view the whole picture properly。 So if you're thinking of getting it - get it in a paper version。 I haven't seen it as such in print （yet）， so I can't judge its quality， but I have my hopes up！ Because it definitely deserves it。While the image and themes selection is great， there could be。。。。 more！ I am convinced， that this book could be at least three times bigger or run into the series。 It would just be fabulous。 Either way， it's a great none too big book， good for an introduction to this quite particular topic。 Bonus - there is a further reading list at the end of the book， which can be really beneficial！ 。。。more
Ana
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3。5/5 starsI received this book as an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisherThe Art of Darkness is a book that explores the connection between art and the darker， even negative， facets of life and human existence。 In the book the author picks a dark topic for a chapter， explores a bit what it's all about and then shows examples of the theme in works of art of past and more contemporary artists。I enjoyed most of it。 I think the author is very knowledgeble yet writes in a way that is easy to follow 3。5/5 starsI received this book as an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisherThe Art of Darkness is a book that explores the connection between art and the darker， even negative， facets of life and human existence。 In the book the author picks a dark topic for a chapter， explores a bit what it's all about and then shows examples of the theme in works of art of past and more contemporary artists。I enjoyed most of it。 I think the author is very knowledgeble yet writes in a way that is easy to follow and understand。 The themes were good and the book flowed quite easily。 Mostly I enjoyed getting to know artists and artworks that aren't usually seen or talked about in the mainstream。 This books definitely opened my eyes up to tons of interesting artists。This could have easily been a natural 4 for me， and I'm bumping it up because I don't think this was the writer's fault， but sadly I read it in the wrong format。 I understand that advanced reader's copies can have little details， problems with formatting and typos， that's fine。 However the version I was given had a lot of issues， to the point that some chapters were unreadable。 With text jumping from place to place and images not corresponding to the descriptions。 This is a book that must be consummed in print in order to really appreciate the artworks depicted in it。 。。。more
Wandering Steps and Slow （Lynne）
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I am a lover of all things dark， stories， films and art so this wonderful book was perfect for me。The subject matter may be upsetting to some readers but the title should be self explanatory for those of a more delicate nature。I absolutely loved the theme of the book in embracing darkness as a part of our lives banishing the "good vibes only" philosophy。Themes in art explored include nightmares， mortality， destruction， gods and monsters and my personal favourite eerie entities。There is a lovely I am a lover of all things dark， stories， films and art so this wonderful book was perfect for me。The subject matter may be upsetting to some readers but the title should be self explanatory for those of a more delicate nature。I absolutely loved the theme of the book in embracing darkness as a part of our lives banishing the "good vibes only" philosophy。Themes in art explored include nightmares， mortality， destruction， gods and monsters and my personal favourite eerie entities。There is a lovely balance between discussion and pictures of the artwork。This is definitely a book I will continue to return to。Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review。 。。。more
Devann
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I received an ARC copy of this book from EdelweissMostly just skimmed through this and looked at the artwork rather than closely reading all of the chapter text but seems like a very informative book that features a lot of different styles from various time periods。 Definitely found a few new favorite pieces！
mila
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Intriguing， informative， alluring。 No， but it was actually really interesting。 I’m glad I had a chance to read it。 It showcased primarily Euro-Centric art， which is neither a positive nor a negative—but a good starting point for a volume two which may expand on the subject， and examine both different cultures and different mediums。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book， in exchange for this honest review。
Lauren
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The Art of Darkness， by S。 Elizabeth is a terrorific collection of works。 I think this would make a fascinating Art History course。 It’s one I would’ve loved to take！ I’d say after taking 5 art history courses， I’d only been exposed to about 10% of the works covered here。 The artists were more familiar， but the specific works were not！ And yes， as an artist I do feel a strong connection to the darkness， as are many！ I’m so glad I have had a chance to read and study these works， and have already The Art of Darkness， by S。 Elizabeth is a terrorific collection of works。 I think this would make a fascinating Art History course。 It’s one I would’ve loved to take！ I’d say after taking 5 art history courses， I’d only been exposed to about 10% of the works covered here。 The artists were more familiar， but the specific works were not！ And yes， as an artist I do feel a strong connection to the darkness， as are many！ I’m so glad I have had a chance to read and study these works， and have already recommended the book to other friends。 My only complaint （and it’s a common one in art collections like this） is that there are very few examples of 3D work， and zero were ceramic。 This is a wasted opportunity， but perhaps a good jumping off point for volume two？ 😬Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 I loved it。 。。。more
Bernie Gourley
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