"Andrew Spiras Foreshadowed sets out to trace the various dark paths, cultural, philosophical and iconographic, that led to Malevichs square. Some of these seem far-fetched, but turn out not to be." - TLS "When Kasimirs Malevichs Black Square was produced in 1915, no one had ever seen anything like it before. And yet it does have precedents. In fact, over the previous five hundred years, several painters, writers, philosophers, scientists, and censors alighted on the form of the black square or rectangle, as if for the first time. Foreshadowed: Malevichs "Black Square" and Its Precursors explores the resonances between Malevichs Black Square and its precursors, revealing layers of meaning that are often overlooked but which are as relevant today as ever." - New Books Network "Andrew Spira has written an extraordinary and fascinating book about one of the simplest paintings ever made. Brilliant, witty, personal and inspired, it is full of surprises." - John Milner, author of Kazimir Malevich and the Art of Geometry "This is a thought-provoking book which provides the philosophical background to the emergence of the most mysterious painting of the 20th century Black Square by Kazimir Malevich and enhances our understanding of it by making some completely new observations. Placing Malevichs Black Square in the most interesting and intriguing context, Andrew Spira develops a fascinating narrative that explores the possible precursors, origins, context and meaning of this iconic painting." - Natalia Murray, Associate Lecturer and Senior Curator, The Courtauld Institute of Art
