Werner Schmalenbach

"Because what does art want? It's not made to be understood, it's made to grab you in some way." Werner Schmalenbach, author of a series of authoritative books on art, speaks more passionately and knowledgeably about art than almost anybody else. Unafraid of emotions, feeling obligated to the visual only, he has always proven that he is independent of the opinions of others. He spent almost thirty years assembling the famous North Rhine-Westphalian art collection in Düsseldorf. Susanne Henle, art historian and journalist, talks to Schmalenbach about his love for the art of many different eras. They discuss the emotions that the works evoke in Schmalenbach and his strong notions about what actually makes art great. It's also about always questioning conventions in an inspirational way, in order to convey a sense of immediate accessibility to the work of art. Unorthodox, amusing, and instructive all at the same time, this generously illustrated volume is a true "visual education."