About Books & Scholarship Art
Open pages, writing instruments, globes and accumulated papers may establish a sitter's interests or create the setting of a study. In a still life, the arrangement and condition of a book can contribute to the image's mood as well as its subject.
The presence of a book does not establish one fixed meaning or identify a particular text. Look for readable inscriptions, other objects and source commentary before making that connection. Explore related interiors, portraits and still-life works for different treatments.
