The Spectacle of Skill

A selection of the best writing by Robert Hughes the most important art and culture critic of our time including never-before-seen pages from his unfinished second memoir.

Over the course of his distinguished career as a our preeminent critic, Robert Hughes wrote with brutal honesty about art, architecture, culture, religion and himself. This collection gathers together some of his most unforgettable pieces, culled from nine of his most widely read and important books. Showcasing Hughes's enormous range, The Spectacle of Skill gives us a uniquely cohesive view of both the critic and the man, and includes never-before-published pages from his unfinished second volume of memoirs. These last writings show Hughes at the height of his powers and can be read only with pleasure and a tinge of sadness that his extraordinary voice is no longer here to educate us as well as to clarify and define our world.