Still Life with Oysters and Lemon: On Objects and Intimacy

I found Doty's work to be disappointing. Mostly this is due to the fact that I think the ideas in the essay are wonderful. I love what he's attempting to do, this difficult "assay" at making very ephemeral sensations about art concrete, to make them comprehensible, to wrap his head and the reader's around them. The glorification of objects, of "bodies," is done wonderfully at times. At other times, to be completely honest, Doty's world was alive and magical to the point it gave me nausea. An example:"Therein lies a large portion of the painting's poetry; these things form not a single whole but a concert, a community of separate presences; we are intended to compare their degrees of roundness, solidity, transparency, and opacity."Okay, this is nice. Slightly meandering, but the form fits the function (I think), so that's just great.Continuing with the same paragraph:"They [the separate objects within the still life] are each a separate city, a separate child in a field of silent children. They speak back and fourth--do they?--across he distance between them. At dinner at my friends', I was seated with my back to the painting, but I felt its magnetism; I was trying to converse, I was conversing, but I felt still its pull, the strange silence of these separate things refusing to form a singular composition, as if it were my work to complete them, as if they needed and demanded me."This is perhaps personal preference: That is simply too much for me. And this is a reoccuring problem. Further, some scenes are so hammered to death by Doty's detail of 'things' that I cannot inhabit them at all, there is no room for me, and thus I lose that interaction with art Doty is attempting to describe. I would assume Doty did this by intention, as another layer of his discussion of "bodies" and "things" and collecting them, and I think it's a compelling idea; I just don't think it works. I was disappointed that it didn't work, but it still didn't. Reading such sections became a chore.Doty's structure throughout bends his central idea around many scenes and situations, which is wonderful, and by the time he gets to what I would call his climactic claim -- that still life distills the "I" to its quickest and most subtle: "a moment of attention, an intimate engagement" -- I'm completely on his side. In fact, beginning about halfway through with his description of an auctioneer and his relationship with his late partner, I was completely taken by the piece for a bit.I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. I can't give it 4 because my overall sense after finishing was disappointment. I still recommend you read it.

Still Life with Oysters and Lemon: On Objects and Intimacy is a beautiful meditation on life and loss inspired by 17th century Dutch still life. Mark Doty is a sensitive, brilliant writer who crafts his work with care and attention. The book shimmers with image and insight, evoking the beauty and fragility of our experience and passage on this planet. It is a joy to read. Highly recommended.

As a painter of still life, etc. and groupie of the Dutch, Mr. Doty has beautifully expressed a zeroing down to the essence of what is divine in true art. And I am extremely grateful. What is ironic is that he did for the painting what the painter did for his objects. He carried it even further into the light. When viewing a great painting, it is an exchange of energies that is indescribable, and Mr. Doty did a great job.I would like to add a bit of empirical knowledge. The Dutch artists usually chose a plethora of different properties.. One metal, one ceramic, one living fruit, one fabric, etc. to balance out the necessities of the different castes of consumers.I highly recommend this to everyone that adores classical art.

Wow what a book! As an artist myself I swooned over the entire opening when Mr. Doty describes being overtaken by the painting. Every artist longs for someone to be so smitten. Overall this book is such a rare treat in the seamless merging of art & poetry. I'm not sure where in this small treasure the switch was flipped for me from I'm-reading-a-book to I've never read a poem like this. It seems everything became a still life after his experience with the painting, every object thoughtfully pondered, every event given a new view. I don't think I've ever read a better description of light and clearly (thankfully) he got caught in it's magic. Thank you Mr. Doty for such a beautiful book!

If you keep in mind that this is more of a biography than anything else, you'll be in good shape to enjoy this book. The length makes it perfect for those wanting to get back into reading, but don't have the time for a 250 page novel or memoir. I'd definitely gift this to a well-read friend!

One of the best books I've ever read. It's like a rare wine...drink it slowly and it will develop. Not for everyone...for those who have keen eyes and a sensitive soul. I've read it three times. You'll never walk up the steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC again without remembering the opening paragraph! How often do we read a book that makes us stop and truly ponder about one or two sentences? BRAVO!

I teach literature at an art school, and I'm reading this to add to a proposed course I want to teach. I am an author of fiction and also an artist--illustrator and painter. I find Doty's work visually evocative and sensually stunning. There are so many gorgeous lines, and heartbreaking passages--and all inspired by one little Dutch painting of lemons and oysters. That's just the thing, you see. An entire world can exist in one humble work of art, including all of the history, narrative, and sense memory it evokes. Highly recommended!

This is not necessarily a quick read, but it is a short read. Doty packs so much beautiful prose and thought provoking depth into such a small space, and he does it beautifully.

It truly is. even the layout is exquisite and simple. A fine contrast to say Calasso's Tiepolo Pink with a Nederlandischer/American Cool instead of Italian sprezzatura. His poetry about Van Gogh is also intense and deeply moving.

Beautiful writing, I highly recommend this book to all writers particularly those starting out. This book will remain on my constant reading list.