Nabokov and the Art of Painting Book

â??Sounds have colors and colors have smells.â? This sentence in Ada is only one of the many moments in Nabokovâ??s work where he sought to merge the visual into his rich and sensual writing. This lavishly illustrated study is the first to examine the role of the visual arts in Nabokovâ??s oeuvre and to explore how art deepens the potency of the prominent themes threaded throughout his work. The authors trace the role of art in Nabokovâ??s life, from his alphabetic chromesthesiaâ??a psychological condition in which letters evoke specific colorsâ??to his training under Marc Chagallâ??s painting instructor to his deep admiration for Leonardo da Vinci and Hieronymus Bosch. They then examine over 150 references to specific works of art in such novels as Laughter in the Dark, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, Pnin, Lolita, Ada, and Pale Fire and consider how such references reveal new emotional aspects of Nabokovâ??s fiction. A fascinating and wholly original study, Nabokov and the Art of Painting will be invaluable reading for scholars and enthusiasts of Nabokov alike.Read More