The Unreality of Realism An insular perspective on the development of modern art

The first in a series of publications dedicated to a theoretical reassessment of modern art, The Unreality of Realism offers a critical analysis of Realism as manifested in nineteenth and twentieth-century art. Beginning with the premise that the study of art history is an inquiry into power mechanisms, and hence also the relationship between truth and power, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci examines a myriad of canonical positions that have framed the history of modern art. This book debates the topic of Realism as an art historical category from a theoretical and philosophical perspective. It contextualises international and Maltese modern art in a broad geographical and temporal framework with comparative strength, and unveils compelling associations between artists and artworks.

The Unreality of Realism continues on Schembri Bonaci’s previous scholarly work in a bolder and more extensive manner. The author provides a revision of former arguments and posits novel ones to invoke a frank dialogue on the versatility of artistic and intellectual concepts and their evolution across space and time.