British Vision: Observation and Imagination in British Art, 1750 1950 - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801446945 ISBN 13: 9780801446948

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 2008

Synopsis

"Show-stoppers from many private and regional galleries, mixing paintings, watercolors, books, sculptures and photographs." The Guardian"Stunning and constantly surprising. . . . Although it contains most of our great artists it is not a 'survey' so much as an unconventional, personal and thought-provoking take on British art, full of unexpected works and unfamiliar names, as well as familiar landmarks over 300 works gathered from collections all over the world." The SpectatorFrom the landscapes of Wilson and Constable to the visionary imagery of Blake and Bacon, this book, published to accompany a major exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, is a beautifully illustrated survey of British art from 1750 to 1950. British Vision presents some of the most celebrated works in British art history, selected from public and private collections in Europe, Britain, and the United States by Robert Hoozee, drawing on the expertise of Andrew Dempsey, John Gage, Mark Haworth-Booth, and Timothy Hyman. Among the artists whose work appears in British Vision are William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, George Stubbs, William Blake, Henry Fuseli, John Constable, J. M. W. Turner, Richard Dadd, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, Stanley Spencer, Graham Sutherland, Francis Bacon, and Lucien Freud.Essays by a group of distinguished art historians focus on two defining characteristics of British art, observation and imagination, seen within the context of society, landscape, and the visionary. Together, they set forth important arguments about what makes British art recognizable, what gives it its typically "British" style, and how British artists have contributed to the history of art as a whole. This lavishly illustrated catalog is a sumptuous record of the most comprehensive exhibition of British art to be displayed in recent years, and represents a unique opportunity to discover the creative forces that shaped British art over two centuries.

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Reviews

This catalog of the comprehensive exhibition of British art held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium, is about an artistic tradition rarely examined on the Continent. Director of the museum, Hoozee includes essays considering two defining characteristics of British art—observation and imagination—within the context of society, landscape, and the visionary. Introductory essays by curator and critic Timothy Hyman and John Gage (Color and Culture) provide a fascinating overview. As Britain became a global economic power, its culture became an inspiration and influence in the art of continental Europe. This artistic tradition was an alternative to the predominance of Paris from 1750 to 1950. Specific influences and themes are discussed but limited to their beginnings owing to space constraints. The influence of Flemish and Dutch artistic traditions on British art is explained as the relocations to England of such artists as Anthony van Dyck. This beautifully produced and scholarly volume, containing 350 color plates and a comprehensive bibliography, makes an original contribution to modern British art. Recommended for every college and art library.—Martin Chasin, Fairfield, CT
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Edition details

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0801446945
• ISBN 13: 9780801446948
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 424
• Editor: Hoozee Robert