The Dark Brain of Piranesi
First published 1985 · English · 240 pages
- Novels
- Historical fiction
A collection of essays on art, history and literature. The title essay looks at the eighteenth-century Italian artist Piranesi and his haunting engravings of imaginary prisons and Roman ruins. Other pieces range across writers, painters and historical figures, and reflect on the passing of time and the stubborn endurance of human creations. The essays show Yourcenar as a learned, sensitive critic, writing with the same clarity and depth as in her fiction.
Quotes
I am the only person who has ever tried to make a map of the entire world. It is a very difficult task, as the world is very large, and very strange.
The world is a series of rooms, and there is no end to them.
The world is a beautiful place, even in its darkness.
I have a very bad memory, and I am often confused about what is real and what is not.