The Art of Ford Madox Brown [Hardcover]

Kenneth Bendiner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0271016566 | ISBN-13: 978-0271016566 | Publication Date: December 1, 1997

A comprehensive history devoted to the art of Ford Madox Brown (1821-93), in which his paintings establish him as a major figure in the most important new art movement of Victorian England, Pre-Raphaelitism. The book presents an explanation of the development and basic aims of Pre-Raphaelite art as a whole and offers a revealing discussion of the power and importance of the humorous vein and negative spirit that run throughout Brown's work. It also ties Brown's realist approach to British decorative taste at mid-century and redefines his place in the Aesthetic Movement, a cultural trend that dominated the latter half of the 19th-century. In addition, the artist's socialist leanings and nationalistic tendencies, expressed in depictions of workers, children, women and religious scenes, are set out more fully than in any previous literature on the artist. Bendiner offers various interpretations of Brown's paintings. He connects many of his works to developments in the literature and politics of the time and also explores his role in the Aesthetic Movement and links his social inclinations, plebeian decorative designs, and humorous aesthetic paintings to the overall scheme of his art.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kenneth Bendiner is Professor of Art History at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He is the author of Introduction to Victorian Painting and Ford Madox Brown: Il lavoro.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt) (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271016566
• ISBN-13: 978-0271016566
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,514,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars customers beware..., March 16, 2000

By 

JOSE GONZALEZ BUENO (Málaga, Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Art of Ford Madox Brown (Hardcover)

...and take notice that this book has a total of 352 pages, of which :206 (plus an 18-page introduction) are pure text; 123 are black and white illustrations; and only 8 (eight) color plates, most of well known and widely reproduced artworks by FMB, such as "work", "pretty-baa lambs" and "the last of England". If you are expecting a lavishly illustrated volume, you'll be as disappointed as I am, thus the low rating I have given. It is my personal opinion, and by no means I am judging the essay by Mr. Bendiner, which I have not read; for this you can read the review below.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a subtle and overdue study, October 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Newcastle, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Ford Madox Brown (Hardcover)

F.M. Brown is one of the most fascinating, but neglected, artists of the nineteenth century. A book which takes his art seriously is long overdue. While some of the judgements contained here are arguable, there can be no doubt that Bendiner has done Brown justice. His comments are always subtle, alert to the ambiguities and complexities of Brown's approach. Bendiner has chosen to organise the book thematically, dividing it into chapters on Brown's 'Archaism', 'Humour', Realism', 'Aestheticism' and 'Social Conscience'. This approach has its problems, especially as the reader has to piece together Bendiner's thoughts on particular paintings, which may be scattered across the chapters. Sometimes it leads to diffuse commentary on important issues. Nevertheless, the approach has the advantage that Bendiner can emphasise the artistic principles of Brown's work overall - very important in Brown's case as critics have too often dismissed his art as 'illustrative'. Perhaps the best points are made in the opening chapters, that on the 'social conscience' can be weak, especially as it attempts to downplay the influence of Carlyle, a writer whose stylistic methods were very important to Brown - as is now increasingly recognised. The appenices containing Brown's own quirky commentaries on his paintings is a welcome addition to the text.