H. R. H. the Prince of Wales Watercolours

A collection of more than seventy watercolor works painted during the last five years by the Prince of Wales reveals his concern for the environment and conservation

Prince Charles, who has been painting for 23 years, calls his watercolors 'immediate and very amateur," and most of them do seem to function best as personal souvenirs of farms, windmills, cottages and rugged landscapes. Yet in some of the 73 paintings reproduced here he proves much more than a mere literalist. One need only look at the Turneresque beauty of Looking Towards Mar Lodge in the Rain, the dancing Dufyesque color of Andraitxyes.gs Harbour or the delicate shimmering poetry of Countryside Around Abbeystead. The prince's chatty, unpretentious facing-page commentaries accompany each plate. Along with atmospheric vistas of the English and Scottish countrysides are often serendipitous views of Italy, France, the Turkish coast, a Hong Kong bay and an ancient Jordanian city. Nature's majesty quietly shines through in the best of these pictures.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The watercolor sketches of the British traveler are a familiar form of recording sights and scenes. Working in this long tradition, not unlike his forebear Queen Victoria, Prince Charles has produced a charming portfolio of images depicting the countryside he knows so well and has been making strong efforts to preserve. The works are small, intimate, and well realized. The writing is less polished; although an attempt is made to familiarize the reader with the locales and give a bit of background, the ingenuous style is unfortunate. In general, though, the book is well done. Its proceeds are to go to the Prince of Wales's favorite charities, the protection of the environment and architectural preservation. This is primarily for public libraries.
-Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.