Best Loved Paintings: Pinkie and Blue Boy [Hardcover]

Robert R. Wark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 1998 | Series: Best-Loved Paintings

This handsome gift volume reveals the stories behind the Huntington's best-known paintings, The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough and Pinkie by Sir Thomas Lawrence. Purchased by Henry E. Huntington in the 1920s, the two masterpieces have resided together in the railroad magnate's mansion-turned-art gallery in San Marino, California, for more than seventy years. Who were the children in these paintings and why did these leading artists choose them as subjects? These and many other intriguing questions are answered by renowned art historian Robert R. Wark. Sixteen color plates feature Pinkie and the Blue Boy as well as other related paintings.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert R. Wark is the former Curator of Art of the Huntington Art Galleries. His books include Early British Drawings in the Huntington Collection 1660-1750 and Ten British Pictures 1740-1840.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Library Press; 1st Hardcover ed edition (February 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873281705
• ISBN-13: 978-0873281706
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,247,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A best loved book, for best loved paintings!, October 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Best Loved Paintings: Pinkie and Blue Boy (Hardcover)

I love art history and I got some old prints of these paintings. However, I wanted to learn more about them. After much time and research I finally came across this book. It helped me out more then any other resource. I fell in love with it when I read it. It answered all my questions I had about the paintings, like why they are displayed together even though they were painted by different artists? or, Who was bluleboy and pinkie? The book also touches on other paintings by the same artists, which I found helpful and made me want to learn more. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves art, or art-history. It would be a good source for art-history teachers too!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book, January 25, 2009

By 

Jollene Martin (Oxnard CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Best Loved Paintings: Pinkie and Blue Boy (Hardcover)

I have loved Blue Boy and Pinkie for years, and have other books on them, but this little book is my favorite. Great detailed information, and nice pictures.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intimate Portrayal, November 3, 2011

By 

Haute Literati - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Loved Paintings: Pinkie and Blue Boy (Hardcover)

The lean and meek size of the actual book allows the reader to connect with subjects at a more intimate level compared to a large history filled textbook or catalog. Great for anyone who would like a small researched history of only two paintings; that of which are "Pinkie and Blue Boy" in the Huntington collection. I had already known some of the information from the audio tour as well. If you ever go to a museum, they are well worth it. The book covers short briefs on the lives of the painters. Why the paintings may have been painted and who were the people in them. Although the book was unique the writing lacked funny anecdotes that would normally be in a novelty book such as this. It should have been written more lightly while still including the facts.