Such an interesting premise - those who change their style significantly at end of life. Matisse went from painting a somber form-based style to colorful paper collage (for which he is best known); Goya went from traditional portraits of the time period to very dark, powerfully grim paintings and wall paintings. Much of what I read has stuck with me and makes me wonder about artists in other mediums and their progressions/changes as they ages...writers, dancers, actors, etc.

This book has a wonderful premise, that aging can lead to your greatest works through new perspectives or physical challenges. The common thread being, the artists’ drive to create did not diminish and their work was redefined. Richard Lacayo studies 6 artists whose late in life works exemplify this premise. I wanted to love this book, but I couldn’t get into it. I love the premise but not the execution.

Last Light is a gift to its readers, beautifully written by Richard Lacayo and illustrated with lushly produced plates. Lacayo has chosen six master artists and focused on their art in old age. He confronts the axiom (or cliche) that as all people age, their talents and work deteriorate. Lacayo argues that these six (Titian, Goya, Monet, Matisse, Hopper, and Nevelson) put the lie to that belief. Each chapter has a detailed personal and professional biography of the artist and a tracing of the artist's style and methods over a lifetime. Of special interest is their "old style", a phrase from the Italian. Each of these geniuses dealt with serious health problems - even deafness and increasing blindness - and broke through to a new vision and use of his/her tools. Lacayo is a marvelous writer, and even the detailed biographies that include the history of the artists' times are gracefully presented and deeply interesting. For readers interested in the technicalities of creating art, Lacayo gives marvelous descriptions of how each of the six used and modified their materials of choice. Highly recommended!

I found this to be such an inspiring book. A mix of art history and an analysis of the potential that can be uncovered in old age. What's not to love? The idea of bringing the experience of life and uniting it with the daring of someone not worried about building a future and the sadness of physical decline when there's still so much creative energy to give, to share. The narration of the history in this book is fantastic, with wonderful images of the artist's work and a portrait preceding the chapter about each one: Titian, Goya, Monet, Matisse, Hopper, and finally "... an artist who happens to be a woman": Nevelson. I highly recommend this aptly titled book to all art lovers, of course, but also to anyone interested in a thoughtful exploration of age and what can still be achieved until the very end.

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.