J.W. Waterhouse

Book Description

John William Waterhouse is among the most popular Victorian artists, and many of his paintings, such as The Lady of Shalott, Hylas and the Nymphs and Ophelia, have become icons of femininity recognized the world over. With their compelling composition, glowing colour and Impressionist-inflected technique, these paintings are admired for their beauty, yet at the same time they have the power to transport the viewer into a romantic world of myth and legend.

Waterhouse's depictions of female beauty reflect his age's complex and ambivalent attitudes towards women, in which Victorian ideals of sentiment and duty commingled with less noble undercurrents of erotic desire and misogyny. In this fresh and innovative study of the artist, Peter Trippi presents a new analysis of Waterhouse's seductresses, martyrs and nymphs, together with a lively discussion of the cultural and historical circumstances in which these images were painted.

This authoritative volume utilizes new research to provide an accessible biography of the artist and to assess his place in the late Victorian art world. Themes explored include Waterhouse's passion for Italy, literature and the classical world, his participation in England's Royal Academy, his stylistic influences and studio practices, and the collectors, dealers, critics and curators who helped make him famous in his day.

Like other Victorian artists, Waterhouse was neglected through much of the twentieth century, but as critical inhibitions have fallen away the revival of his fortune has been dramatic. Today he is again acknowledged as a master painter. Peter Trippi's monograph provides a timely re-evaluation that combines a close reading of Waterhouse's imagery with a candid appraisal of his unique talent.

Customer Reviews:

The best book out there on J.W. Waterhouse! .......2007-08-05

This is the best book I have found on J.W. Waterhouse. Not only does this book talk about the painter's life, but more importantly, each of J.W .Waterhouse's paintings are described in very full detail (eg: OPHELIA).

I was so intrigued by reading about Waterhouses' pictures, because the author of this wonderful book (ie: PETER TRIPPI) elaborated in great detail about each work of Art, by contrasting and comparing Waterhouses' paintings to other famous paintings and sculptures (eg: Bourne Jones from the 1800's, and also many famous Italian 1400-th Century Artists) .

The author has attempted, (& with great success, I may add), to show how Waterhouse was influenced by past Rapheaelite Artists and also by some of the other famous first-phase Pre-Raheaelite English Artists.

Each synopsis, of each Waterhouse painting is quite amazing and like no other interpretation that I have read on this famous late-Pre-Raphaelite Artist.

The repro-photos of Waterhouse's works are amazing, -----showing such wonderful details and colors.

Book on John Waterhouse.......2007-05-17

If you are an art lover of paintings that can take your breath away, and pulling you int it than John Waterhouse is a must for your collection. He is such a great artist and this book is so incredible you want to devour it. He is one of the greatest artists of his time that I would recommend this book because it is affordable and wonderful.

I received this book quickly and with no delays.

Great table book.......2007-02-16

Would love to have ordered the hardcover for a coffee table book but this one does just fine for the cost and over-seas shipping it would have taken for the hardcover. Lots of information on J W Waterhouse and great pictures. It even has some of his less known works and pictures that you can't find prints for. A true keep sake and treasure for those who are interested in this artist and his time. Oh, and a few of the house guests, students, have even asked to borrow the book. First table book to have created some interesting conversations.

An astute feel for a quiet man.......2006-12-08

Peter Trippi's monograph has done what I would assume had to be very difficult to do: he has a good feel for the quiet,quiet man behind the paintings. The depth of his study helped me to verify a number of pieces of information that led me into my own research, and has continued to be my main reference as I continue my work. I recommend that this is the book to begin with if you are going to enter any serious study of John William Waterhouse; however, don't let that make you think it is only a scholar's read: it is well written, beautifully illustrated, and simply a joy to behold.

Wealth of information.......2006-11-01

This is the most complete book on Waterhouse I've come across yet. When researching this artist, I was surprised to find that there were very few books written just about Waterhouse. Without this book, it would have been very hard to research him at all.

The book is laid out beautifully so that even if you never read the whole thing, you can enjoy it. The paintings are displayed in full color and many of them cover a whole page. Sketches and other art by Waterhouse's contemporaries as well as art that he was inspired by are also included.

The book is laid out like an illustrated biography. Starting from birth to death, Trippi shows Waterhouse's life by his paintings and sketches since very few written documents of his life survive. Each chapter shows an era in his life and how he changed over the years by style and technique. Trippi explains much of the background of the paintings and mentions artwork still missing as well as other mysteries of Waterhouse's life. This is skillfully told including all the elements you want when getting to know an artist; his life, color pictures, inspirations, contemporaries, techniques and more.

I loved reading through this and at the end felt a heightened respect for the artist. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to know more about Waterhouse.

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A Competent Introduction to the Pre-Raphaelites
Hilton, Barringer, and the Pre-Raphaelite Women
Excellent rethinking of a generation of painters
disppointing
A rather mechanical account of PRB culture.

Reading the Pre-Raphaelites
Tim Barringer
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0300077874

Book Description

This lavishly illustrated book provides a fresh appraisal of the Pre-Raphaelite artists of mid-Victorian England and their radical departure from artistic conventions. Tim Barringer explores the meanings encoded in Pre-Raphaelite paintings and finds a dynamic energy that arises from paradoxes at the heart of the movement, between past and present, historicism and modernity, and symbolism and realism.

Customer Reviews:

A Competent Introduction to the Pre-Raphaelites.......2004-07-02

"Reading the Pre-Raphaelites" has been on the market for five years now (as of 2004), and continues to hold up well as an introduction to Pre-Raphaelite painting. People who are already familiar with Pre-Raphaelite Art (and its copious bibliography!) will not find too much here that is new, but for the not-yet-expert, this book works well in presenting many of the essential Pre-Raphaelite themes and paintings in an orderly and easy-to-understand manner.

The book is organized topically, with separate chapters on Pre-Raphaelite medievalism, nature painting, modern life, religious painting, and Post-Pre-Raphaelitism (the latter including Whistler, Burne-Jones, and the Aesthetic Movement.)

The author tosses in a bit of "critical theory" from time to time, and on occasion can be judgmental about individual works. These negatives, though, are easily overcome by the author's clarity of writing and competence of interpretation, which lucidly ground these paintings in their social and artistic milieu. The book's bibliography and index are marginal, but the quality of its color printing is exceptional, much better than in many more expensive art books.

In summary, this book would be a good buy for the student or other reader who wants a general, thematic introduction to the Pre-Raphaelites.

Hilton, Barringer, and the Pre-Raphaelite Women.......1999-10-07

The Pre-Raphaelite men, like most masculine hegemonies, could not have survived had it not been for the credible contributions of the women who lurk at the periphery of the Brotherhood. More than mere emotional or sensual inspiration (or support), the Pre-Raphaelite women--Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddal, and Jane Morris--provided the creative impetus for their men, and often even the critical eye needed to master a work of art. History and its historians have not been as generous as they could have been in recounting the contributions of these women.

Often, the summation of any one woman's contributions to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is left up to individual biographers. Those writing the introductory texts frequently fall short of effectively identifying the enormous contributions of the Pre-Raphaelite women. Two such introductory texts are Timothy Hilton's _The Pre-Raphaelites_ and Tim Barringer's _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_. Where the Pre-Raphaelite women are concerned, both texts provide a footnote to the art history of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood but really do little more than re-emphasizing the marginal status of the Pre-Raphaelite women.

In his Introduction, Barringer recognizes the artistic aptitude of Christina Rossetti as a poet, of Elizabeth Siddal as an artist, and of Jane Morris as an embroiderer. Furthermore, Barringer claims that the "full contribution of these artists, and a number of women less directly connected with Pre-Raphaelitism, has only recently been acknowledged" (14). With this affirmation, _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_ promises to bring to the fore a considerable new interest in the works of the Pre-Raphaelite women. Barringer, however, does little to revise and reappraise the contributions of these women.

Where Christina Rossetti is concerned, Barringer mentions her only four times in his text: twice in the introduction (11, 14); once in relation to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, wherein he reprints her sonnet on the disintegration of the Brotherhood (135); and once in the epilogue (168). Jane Morris fares somewhat better with six mentions, including the inclusion of her painting _St Catherine_ (50). Mostly, however, Jane Morris rates mere mention as an appendage to either Dante Gabriel Rossetti or William Morris (136, 155, 156).

It is Elizabeth Siddal, however, who garners the most attention from Barringer, with a total of ten mentions. Barringer offers decent treatment to Siddal's _Pippa Passing the Loose Women_ (144-45) as well as to Dante Gabriel Rossetti's use of Siddal as a model (141-42). Barringer is even so generous as to include Dante Gabriel Rossetti's _The Artist sitting to Elizabeth Siddall_ [sic.] (141).

Timothy Hilton's _The Pre-Raphaelites_ purports to be an art book which "offers some adjustments to the straight art history" of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Additionally, Hilton's text supposedly offers a reinterpretation of the activities of several members in Dante Gabriel Rossetti's circle (7). _The Pre-Raphaelites_ precedes _Reading the Pre-Raphaelites_ by twenty-seven years and was written during the height of the Women's Movement (in the U.S.). That considered, it should come as no surprise that Hilton dwells slightly on the subjects of Jane Morris and Elizabeth Siddal. What does come as a bit of a surprise is that Hilton glosses over Christina Rossetti, treating her almost parenthetically. She rates a total of four references in Hilton's text (only three of which are indexed).

Hilton first refers to Christina Rossetti simply as one in a series of Rossetti children (26) and then again as one of the "various others" who joined the Brotherhood in their print undertaking _The Germ_ (50). She receives credit for sitting for the Virgin in her brother's The Girlhood of _Mary Virgin_ (94) and for being the recipient of one of her brother's letters (107).

Again, Jane Morris receives a slightly greater amount of recognition, although Hilton's references to her total only four. Hilton first mentions Morris as one of the objects of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "many delineations," a credit which she shares with "Lizzy" Siddal (59). Hilton then dwells on Jane Morris for four pages, wherein he describes William Morris' profound love for her and displays several images of the beautiful Mrs. Morris, including William Morris' _Queen Guinivere_ (166-69). Jane Morris rates still another small note when Hilton inventories Dante Gabriel Rossetti's menagerie at Cheyne Walk, saying that Rossetti had "a Brahmin bull whose eyes reminded [him] of Jane Morris" (182). Finally, the author takes a moment to detail the love affair between Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Jane Morris (183-84).

Elizabeth Siddal, "Lizzy" as Hilton calls her, yet again rates the most references (seven), and not without cause. In addition to her credit as one of Rossetti's models (59, 175), she also receives note (this time parenthetically) as one who attempted to illustrate Wordsworth's "We are Seven" (60). With a series of illustrations and text, Hilton then describes the love affair between Siddal and Dante Rossetti (99-101) and then reiterates the strong affair by stating "Rossetti was busy with Lizzy Siddal" (107). Hilton sums up his mention of Siddal by detailing, if rather briefly, the weakening of the her marriage to Dante Rossetti, her eventual "accidental death," and Rossetti's subsequent depression (178-79).

While Hilton's text may offer slightly more insight into the lives of the Pre-Raphaelite women, neither his nor Barringer's text does justice to the lives of these three women. Yes, Elizabeth Siddal was perhaps the most intricately involved in the goings-on of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but Jane Morris' and Christina Rossetti's contributions should not receive the degree of dismissal that they do. Barringer's and Hilton's attempts at revisionist art histories fail and once again place the brunt of their focus on the men of the Brotherhood. Both authors allow the Pre-Raphaelite women to remain in the margins of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood history, and, in doing so, do a disservice to all women artists, no matter in whose shadow they may have stood in during life.

Excellent rethinking of a generation of painters.......1999-07-23

This is a well-written, beautifully produced book, with much to tell the sort of person who, like me, might normally walk quickly by Pre-Raphaelite paintings in a gallery. Barringer explains the rationale, the techniques, and the lives of these artists in fascinating detail and makes one see what really is of interest in their works. He is extremely sympathetic to their projects, without being blindly uncritical. And he is candid about his debt to other art historians and literary critics. It seems to me that there is no better book on the subject for someone interested in 19th-century England or in the rise and fall of an intellectual movement.

disppointing.......1999-02-02

The previous reviewer is, alas, right. A depressingly judgememntal book, far more interested in righteous pronouncement on predictable topics than in the exploration of art works far more complex than this author is willing to allow. The Pre-Raphaelites need new literature. Much of the writing now extant is stale and repetitive, but this is not the way forward. Look at the paintings, Dr Barringer - don't simply 'read' them for coded messages.

A rather mechanical account of PRB culture........1999-01-26

Aimed at a general readership, this must be the most recent book on the Pre-Raphaelites. Where most writers have been happy to repeat the standard conventions about the PRB and their paintings, Barringer wants to tell us that issues seep into their brilliantly-lit compositions. Alas for the reader, in avoiding the pictorial complexity and brilliance of PRB painting, Barringer devotes far too much space to fashionable academic jargon on such subjects as colonialism, gender, class and so on. Instead of ceaseless curiosity in the face of these remarkable paintings, Barringer provides us with a series of judgemental cliches about modernity and ideology. Why, the reader is left to ponder, is he embarrassed by PRB paintings? Why the fixation with 'theory'? What is 'wrong' with these paintings?!

William Holman Hunt: Painter, Painting, Paint

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A Master of his craft.
multifaceted study of 19th-century British painter

William Holman Hunt: Painter, Painting, Paint
Carol Jacobi
Manufacturer: Manchester University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0719072883
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Book Description

This is a fundamental reassessment of the work of William Holman Hunt, and the first critical text to reproduce his pictures in color and set him on an international stage. Lavishly illustrated and engagingly written, this book answers the longstanding lack of any monograph on Hunt and will make compelling reading for undergraduate and graduate students of History of Art, Victorian Studies, English Literature and Religious Studies, as well as curators, conservators and the artist’s many admirers.

Customer Reviews:

A Master of his craft........2007-08-16

Any Art lover who enjoys looking at paintings by a Artist totally in command of his craft,should look no further then the Art of William Holman Hunt.A deeply religious man who's many paintings were inspired from the Bible.This book goes into more detail about Hunt's private life then any other I have ever read,but it's the reproduced paintings that make this book stand out for me.
As the old adage goes,a picture is worth a thousand words,in this case how true.
Just one example of a painting which amply demonstrates his painterly prowess is a painting from 1852 called, "Our English Coasts" check out the light on the grass in the background and the sunlight shining through the ear of the sheep close'est to the front of the painting.Truly Outstanding.
If you enjoy paintings by Hunt you may also like other members of the P.R.B. namely Ford Madox Brown and John Everett Millais.
I can assure you,you will not be disappointed.

multifaceted study of 19th-century British painter.......2007-02-14

Jacobi "attempt[s] to rationalise Hunt's problematic aesthetic." One English art writer said of the Victorian-era/pre-Raphaelite English artist Hunt's works that they "are not good-looking." "Garish," "crude," "sharp and severe" are other terms that have been applied to Hunt's paintings. Jacobi does not disagree that such descriptions apply. But seeing that Hunt was a skilled painter with technical command, was self consciousness about the subjects he chose and the style he applied, and had a sharp eye (some have said he could see the moons of Jupiter with his naked eye), she looks more deeply into Hunt's works for the psychological, cultural, and religious bases of them. Basically, the lecturer and teacher of art and visual studies at two English educational institutions finds that Hunt's "anachronistic" Christian beliefs "impelled him to test the extremities of his art against modern circumstance." Working from the mid 1800s to the first years of the 1900s, the religiously-minded Hunt experienced an ineluctable modernism to make paintings that "are not failed imaginings of a comfortable middlebrow fantasy, but successful investigations of uncomfortable, not wholly controllable, individual actuality." While Jacobi's acute, multi-sided study (as the subtitle suggests) does not presume to elevate Hunt beyond his standing as a particularly interesting nineteenth-century English artist, it does discern and clearly define challenges Hunt presents to art historians and critics; and does resolve the primary ones through extensive biographical research, historical and sociological study of the period, and expert art critic skills, understandings, and insights.

The Pre-Raphaelite Vision (Phaidon Miniature Editions)

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Lush, elegant art from Victorian England
A perfect romantic gift!

The Pre-Raphaelite Vision (Phaidon Miniature Editions)
Editors of Phaidon Press
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0714832529

Customer Reviews:

Lush, elegant art from Victorian England.......2000-06-06

This volume draws together some of the most remarkable paintings and sketches done by the Pre-Raphaelites during the mid-1800's. This movement, which focused on the appreciation of beauty through artistic interpretation of legend and literature, produced some of the most stunning works of art to date.

What I like about this book in particular, is that unlike many books, it does not neglect the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, brother of the poet Christina Rossetti. In my opinion, Dante (whose painting "Proserpine" appears on the cover of this book, is the heart and soul of the "Pre-Raphaelite Vision" and is too often left out. Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

A perfect romantic gift!.......2000-06-03

"Some were painted almost obsessively, and with the passing of time have come to represent an ideal beauty"

This tiny book is filled with works by Dante Gabriel Rosetti, Arthur Hughes, Frederick Sandys, Edward Burne-Jones, William Holden Hunt, Albert Joseph Moore, and Eveyln De Morgan. In its pages you will find all the romantic, now 'posterized' images of this remarkable group of painters.

The paintings are interwoven with the beautiful poetry that inspired them and makes it a lovely and tender tribute to any woman. (or a not so shabby guide book for those poor souls out there that just don't know how to be romantic!)

Rossetti is a master of the misty eyed, Sandys finds that little resident saucy side that makes every woman human, and Burne-Jones seems to add an extra element of wisdom to the women that he paints.

These are the paintings that are beloved by so many - never offensive, always relaxing and full of brilliant color. Who could forget Moore's 'Midsummer' with its bright orange fabric against such a gentle sleeper? Or 'Love's Shadow' with that bright red hair? These are the only examples I can think of that use such bright color and still result in such soothing images.

Book Description

John Everett Millais (1829-1896) was a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the quintessential English gentleman artist. A Baronet and president of the Royal Academy, Millais produced some of the most famous images of his time. His first Pre-Raphaelite work, The Carpenter's Shop, had a dramatic effect on the critics; Charles Dickens famously described his portrayal of the Christ child as a "hideous, wry-necked, blubbering, red-haired boy in a night-gown." Author Christine Riding analyzes his artistic career, his critics, and his audience, exploring the broader issues that preoccupied his contemporaries on the subject of art itself.

Discoveries: Preraphaelites: Romance and Realism (Discoveries (Abrams))

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"A movement in which modernity and the past...

Discoveries: Preraphaelites: Romance and Realism (Discoveries (Abrams))
Laurence Des Cars
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0810928914

Book Description

This study of Pre-Raphaelite painters and poets reveals a style-derived from the idealized view of nature in the early Italian Renaissance-steeped in mythology and literary allusion and very popular today with lovers of romantic art and poetry. 125 illustrations, 95 in full color, 5 x 7"

Customer Reviews:

"A movement in which modernity and the past..........2004-01-07

were so intimately linked."

Do you have a poet's heart? Or do you consider yourself a hopeless romantic? Maybe you love great quotes and succinct information in a easy to carry and store, thin paperback? Perhaps you love gorgeous, contrasting colors full of light and shadows in passionately rendered yet solemn but oh so expressive and thought-provoking symbolism with an occasional illusionist effect (as in Waterhouse's "The Lady of Shallot" and Millias' "Ophelia") in your art then welcome to the Pre-Raphaelite movement! There is plenty of all of the above and more included in the wonderful, lightweight, colorful, informative art book!

This group (P. R. B. aka Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood) was dominated by three artists: John Everett Millias (1829-96), William Holman Hunt (1828-1910) and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82.) "The Pre-Raphelites wanted to represent modern life realistically, whether they approved or disapproved of it." Hmmm. Isn't that something that art must consist of to Be Art?!

"Go to Nature in all singleness of heart, and walk with her laboriously and trustingly, having no other thought but how best to penetrate her meaning, and remember her instruction, rejecting nothing, selecting nothing and scorning nothing; believing all things to be right and good, and rejoicing always in the truth."
John Ruskin 'Modern Painters', Vol 1, 1843. [Love it! I'll take a bottle of wine from 1843 please!]

I believe that an artist has a gift from God. Combined with free will, it becomes a reflection of the portion of God in him/her that wants and desires to be expressed, all through the artist's unique views from the heart. The work of an artist communicates, often on a much more proficient and profound level than words can ever say; the artist speaks without words and the viewer has the honor of deciding on his/her own interpretation, application and inspiration to his/her life--THIS is why I Love Art so much. Truly Art is one of the highest forms of sharing. So if you are an artist, past or present, thank you and Godspeed. o8E I would love to be an artist someday. And I see myself giving it a go again someday, if just as a hobby. Perhaps someday I'll be found by a kindred spirit working on a canvas on the beach while taking breaks doing Tai Chi and yoga. ^_^

In closing, I believe the key to getting the most from art is to look at it with an open mind and ponder the message that enters your heart. The Pre-Raphaelites do just that, touch my heart. And I enjoy pondering with an open mind!

"I mean by a picture a beautiful, romantic dream of something that never was, never will be--in a light better than any other light that ever shone--in a land no one can define or remember, only desire."
Edward Burne-Jones, head of the second generation of Pre-Raphaelites, along with Morris. [Wow, I really love this quote. The quotes and illustrations of paintings alone are worth the price of this book. Highly recommended!]

Some of the plates for your information as well as some of my favorites: (I love all of them but *** is the highest)
The Eve of St. Agnes (1848 Arthur Hughes)
Italia and Germania (1828 by Johann Friedrich Overbeck)
The Study of Gneiss Rock at Glenfinlas* (1853 John Ruskin)
The Girlhood of Mary Virgin (1848-9 Rossetti)
Ecce Ancilla Domini!** (1850 Rossetti)
Covenant Thoughts (1850-1 Millias)
Ferdinand Lured by Ariel (1849-59 Millias)
The Hireling Shepherd (1851-2 Hunt)
Claudio and Isabella** (1850-3 Hunt)
Ophelia**1/2 (Millias)
The Awakening Conscience* (1853-4 Hunt)
April Love** (1855 John Ruskin)
The Light of the World* (1851-3 Hunt)
Monna Vanna* (1866 Rossetti)
The Blind Girl*** (Millias--a woman with young child as the woman's eyes are closed and the child looks back to see a double rainbow! Deja'vu! I wouldn't have titled the painting that...)
Prospertine** (cover pix 1873-4 Rossetti)
The Beguiling of Merlin** (1870-4 Burne-Jones)

Book Description

In this unusual book readers are given the opportunity to examine works of the Pre-Raphaelites as closely as a conservator would, and to uncover the artistic methods practiced by these painters. Combining modern scientific research-including X-ray and infrared technology, high-level magnification, and material analysis-with commentary from the letters and diaries of the artists themselves, this book explores the innovative techniques behind 20 of their extraordinary works in a way that no previously published study has attempted.

In addition to extensive full-color illustrations, many of them large-scale details, this fascinating volume features texts by leading conservators that provide a historical perspective on the works and techniques in question. AUTHOR BIO: Joyce H. Townsend is a senior conservation scientist at Tate. Jacqueline Ridge is head of paintings and conservation at Tate. Stephen Hackney is head of conservation science at Tate.

Customer Reviews:

Waste of money.......2007-02-08

This book is a complete waste of money if you actually want to know how to do any of this type of work. It is a treatise on x-raying old paintings, to tell you that the artists used poisonous materials. It certainly is of no assistance if you want to emulate this form of work and needless to say there are hardly any of the well known pre-raphaelite paintings in it - certainly not the most famous proponents of the time. BLAH - a total disappointment in dragging it all the way to New Zealand at huge expense. If you're a conservator this yawn-inducing volume would probably be of interest, for the rest of us.....BLAH again!

Rossetti's Portraits of Elizabeth Siddal: A Catalogue of the Drawings and Watercolours

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Rossetti's Portraits of Elizabeth Siddal: A Catalogue of the Drawings and Watercolours
Virginia Surtees , and Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Manufacturer: Ashmolean Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Flora Symbolica: Flowers in Pre-Raphaelite Art

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A throw-away book

Flora Symbolica: Flowers in Pre-Raphaelite Art
Debra N. Mancoff
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This stunning bouquet of romantic paintings brings together two important aspects of Victorian life—the pre-Raphaelite movement and the language of flowers—in one exquisite volume.

Few artistic movements capture classic notions of beauty as romantically as the Pre-Raphaelites—a group of nineteenth-century painters and poets who aimed to revive the purer art of the late medieval period. Brilliantly colored and carefully composed, pre-Raphaelite paintings are revered for their idealistic portrayal of women, their emphasis on nature and morality, and their use of literature and mythology. Flowers figure prominently in many of these paintings, the blooms as physically lush as they are laden with symbolism. For this was the Victorian era, when the language of flowers was spoken by everyone.

In this beautiful volume, Debra N. Mancoff, an expert on Pre-Raphaelite art and the floral lexicon presents forty breathtaking examples, which illuminate the meaning of flowers in all aspects of Victorian culture. She offers brief commentaries on individual paintings as well as biographies of the period's leading artists and their models. A captivating introduction to an artistic movement, this exquisitely produced book is also a romantic keepsake of an artistic sensibility that speaks volumes.

Customer Reviews:

A throw-away book.......2003-07-13

I have several books by Mancoff and get the feeling she just went through the motions on this one. Ostensibly about floral symbolism, the book actually contains very little on the subject. It's more of a collection of pretty pictures accompanied by some juicy gossip about the affairs of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne Jones, etc. Often a painting will clearly show many flowers--for example Charles Allston Collins' "Convent Thoughts" has eleven--but the desciption will cover only a few. In other cases, the entry will be 95% about the personal life of the artist with 1 or 2 sentences about flowers tacked on at the end. Mancoff does assemble some paintings that are seldom reproduced, and it is fun to look at more popular paintings with new eyes. I would have liked it better, however, if she had explored how this symbolic language developed, how familiar people were with this language, and had included even more pop culture references to floral symbolism than she does.

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From The Inside Flap:

Art of the Pre-Raphaelites
Steven Adams
Manufacturer: Chartwell House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1555213200

Customer Reviews:

From The Inside Flap:.......2006-01-10

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a 19th-Century group of dissident artists who rejected the conventional artistic opinions of the academic establishment and sought inspiration from the arts, and later the crafts, of the Middle Ages. The Brotherhood consisted of seven members: Dante Gabriel and William Michael Rossetti, John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, F. G. Stephens, James Collinson and Thomas Woolner, together wiht a handful of fellow-travelers, among them Burne-Jones and William Morris. Other artists were strongly influenced by - or influenced - the movement, such as John Ruskin. Their story is one of rebellion and re-definition of aesthetics.

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