Outsider: Always Almost: Never Quite

Admirably honest on life, death, friendships, sex and dogs. Perhaps rather less admirably on peers in the art world.

Outsider: Always Almost: Never Quite

No honesty whatsoever about Anthony Blunt. Unable to defend, he sidesteps. Fewer artist anecdotes than you would expect, although the Dali chapter is great. All in all, I do miss the gloomy old stick. The second volume of Brian Sewell's autobiography appears to focus on fewer topics and more in depth. This maybe an incorrect perception on my part but it's my lasting impression. Nonetheless, both volumes are enjoyable and informative even if at times a little too revealing of his personal life. The latter comment speaks to the author's frankness and honesty.

These attributes are brought to such issues as meeting Salvador Dali and what's called 'The Blunt Affair,' which, of course, refers to An The second volume of Brian Sewell's autobiography appears to focus on fewer topics and more in depth. These attributes are brought to such issues as meeting Salvador Dali and what's called 'The Blunt Affair,' which, of course, refers to Anthony Blunt, one of the Cambridge spies from the s.

His account of the trade in fine arts, particularly the work of such auction houses as Christies, is interesting and shattered my naivety about thinking these are professional and august institutions. He writes movingly and frankly about his mother's fatal illness and others of his friends as well as his own health. I'm come away thinking that Brian Sewell is a fascinating individual with many admirable qualities but I'm not convinced he's someone who I would want to know--not that I should have to worry about such an opportunity because it's highly unlikely it would ever occur!

The next best thing, then, is to read 'Outsider' I and II. Sewell was something of an enigma to me. Highly opinionated, well he was a critic and on tv came across as a dilettante with many barbed criticisms of those artists and fellow critics that fell between the cross hairs of his gaze. I was surprised by the amount of sex. But this seems an honest, warts and all, biography which is to be admired, no sweeping under the carpet for him.

It was this honesty which got him into bad weather, not holding back on an opinion from which he seems t Never Quite It was this honesty which got him into bad weather, not holding back on an opinion from which he seems to be surprised by the recipient's unhappy reaction. His chapter on deaths ignominy is honest and moving and strikes a chord if you are of a certain age.

His love of art and classic cars seemed at odds but he was a individual in an age of bland hyper and dubious celebrity. You can't describe him as lovable. His love was only for animals and dogs in particular. Would I recommend this book? Aug 08, Studvet rated it really liked it. Loved it for his searing honesty and the way he states the unpleasant truth as easily as the pleasant.

I found the sexual content open and honest and he just states things as they are -whether they favour him or not. He may not be right about all his opinions but you really feel the honesty and integrity of his opinions and believe him when he says "truth before friends".

Outsider II: Always Almost: Never Quite by Brian Sewell

And he certainly backs up his claims eruditely. An admirable human being for that and it gives you confidence in what you are Loved it for his searing honesty and the way he states the unpleasant truth as easily as the pleasant.

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An admirable human being for that and it gives you confidence in what you are reading. Definitely one of a type and fascinating in his opinions-not afraid to call the Emperors New Clothes as they are. The only drawback is his prose style which is often convoluted and a sentence within a sentence within a sentence-at times you have to read certain bits 3 times to fully understand: His love of dogs humanises him a lot and his often crusty carapace hid a genuine compassion for people he cared about and it was illuminating to read a nuanced evaluation of Blunt rather than the usual "evil traitor" depiction.

Nov 06, Andy rated it it was amazing. The second of his frank and often hilarious memoirs takes Brian Sewell from , when he left the auction house Christie's, to the present day. It is an unflinching story of a passion for art, a seemingly unquenchable desire for sexual excess , a litany of personal feuds and the touching musings of a man who, despite his singular ability as a sceptical art critic and undoubted success in the art world and as a writer, feels that much of his life has been wasted.

Oct 11, Craig Ewen rated it really liked it. For me a case perhaps of loving this true individual while not exactly liking him: Feb 20, Ken Freed rated it it was amazing.

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Especially for a gay art collector like me who loathes the herd of independent minds. John Charles rated it really liked it Jun 13, Robert Costin rated it really liked it Dec 26, You feel his passion, inspired by Blunt, for Poussin above all other painters. In the 50s and 60s many great paintings and drawings sold for a fraction of what they are worth today. Having been both Catholic and Anglican, Sewell is content to call himself an "an agnostic Christian.

I would have preferred an apology for his Dickensian syntax. This is a mean-spirited autobiography, only enlivened by the occasional titbit of gossip and revelation. Presumably he goes into the scandal in more detail in the second volume of his memoirs, which I will steel myself to read sometime in the not-too-near future. The first few chapters of this autobiography are everything I expected of the man: They led me to expect that tone to continue throughout the book, but once Sewell begins to deal with his scholarly work at the Courtauld and later at Christie's, it becomes more sober, the flashes of amusing acerbity become rarer, and the author assumes a detailed interest in a host of personalities in the art world and in matters of attribution etc.

Sewell is vividly evocative of a child's reaction to his loving rackety and cultivated mother, his step-father whom he had liked as an "uncle" but rejected as a father - it was, frustratingly, years later that he was able to find out who his real and rather well-known father was , of early and precocious experiences of literature and art, of his time at a school where sexual activity between boys was I believe more than usually rampant.

He loved music and painting, and his mother arranged for him to have violin lessons with Max Rostal and painting lessons with William Coldstream. He thought they were uninspiring, and neither of them was able to turn him into more than a mediocre performer though a good enough painter, we learn later on, for one of the water-colours he produced at school to turn up at Christie's and to be initially taken for a genuine Dufy!

These studies were interrupted by two years of National Service - gruelling training, being shouted at, absurd orders, the lot. One would imagine that it would be hell for an aesthete like him, but he has a lot to say for the discipline, self-discipline and esprit de corps it fostered, and he believes that "today's society is much poorer without National Service. When the two years were up, he was transferred to the Reserve.

He refused on moral grounds to report for duty during the Suez Crisis, running the risk of a Court Martial which never materialized. Much more mature now, he resumed his studies at the Courtauld, then housed elegantly but constrictedly at 20 Portland Square, its interior designed by Robert Adam. Its Director was Anthony Blunt, who was to transform it from "a scarcely reputable Institute into a school of art history that would rival, equal and surpass" all the long established art historical schools in Germany and Central Europe.

At this stage the sparkle fades somewhat. I found much of the chapter about his second spell at the Courtauld rather humdrum. There is an account of an art tour of Italy which he made with some fellow students that is as boring as such travelogues often are; another of his visit to Holland to study the Dutch old masters. His humour is in evidence only in a long set-piece about him once acting as a tour-guide to a grotesque group of American matrons.

Then it's back to what periods of art history were studied and taught. He had thought of becoming a Catholic priest after the Courtauld, but found that he had theological doubts, that his sexual urges were too strong for the priesthood, and that in any case had been bitten by the art history bug. He recounts a spell of producing catalogues, first of the architectural drawings of Carlo Fontana in Windsor Castle and then for a couple exhibitions.

The book comes alive again here, as we learn a good deal about what he learns about the artists and about the technical aspects of good art history and of picture restoration.

He even learned some of the skills of a restorer himself and once, the usual experts being temporarily unavailable, applied them himself to no less a work than one of Rembrandt's portraits of his son Titus. His work led to an offer of steady employment as a catalogue writer for Christie's auction house. This task involved him in much more than writing notes, for he assessed many paintings and drawings that were offered to Christie's for genuineness, quality and provenance.

This led to many disagreements between him and his superiors, some of whom brooked no disagreement; and Sewell records each of these battles especially those with the director Patrick Lindsay with scathing comments about his superiors' vulgarity, boorishness, arrogance and lack of discrimination. Many of these works were by minor artists of whom I have never heard, and I was duly impressed by the range of young Sewell's knowledgeable eye and visual memory.

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He would be in his late twenties. We have detailed accounts of several auctions in which he played a part, in particular that of the Leonardo cartoon now in the National Gallery. And there is a wonderful story about the preparation for sale of Burne-Jones' vast "Arthur at Avalon".

He also learned some of the skills of a picture restorer himself and once, the usual experts being unavailable, applied them himself to no less a work than one of Rembrandt's portraits of his son Titus. We learn much about the shadier side of art dealing: After one humiliation too many by Patrick Lindsay part of whose hostility to him was that the latter was homosexual - Sewell always uses the word "queer" , he resigned from Christie's in , aged 35, and brings this first volume of his autobiography to an end.

Those who are interested in all the minutiae of art history and art dealing should give the book five stars; my four merely reflect that I was more interested in the man than in these minutiae. These elegant, insightful, and funny memoirs of Brian Sewell, the art critic, take us from his childhood down to his leaving Christie's in His chapter on - and praise of - National Service is the first of several gems which also include his time at the Courtauld and Christie's.

Outsider II: Always Almost: Never Quite by Brian Sewell | The Sunday Times

I write as an outsider to the trade in fine arts but even I was shocked at the sheer amateurism and shoddiness of the conduct of some members of the Christie's picture department. Patrick Lindsay comes out looking particularly incompetent and unpleasant 'nasty' is actually a better word , and photos of him among the plates don't help his cause either. His appalling remark about Sewell sealed Sewell's fate at Christie's, and reinforced his determination to leave.

Trenchant characterisations are balanced by clearly very affectionate portraits, and Sewell does not shrink from parading his own faults and mistakes, particularly during his time at Christie's. Anthony Blunt and a number of others walk in and out of the narrative; Guy Burgess is memorably sketched. Sewell writes thoughtfull, at times graphically, at times sadly, about his sexuality, his awareness of it and the affect it has had on different stages of his life. This beautifully written book ought to appeal to audiences beyond those interested in art.

Let's hope he continues the story further in a second volume. See all 6 reviews.