Discourses on Art: New edition (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis) [Paperback]

Sir Joshua Reynolds (Author), Robert R. Wark (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis | Publication Date: December 22, 1997

The 'Discourses on Art' of Sir Joshua Reynolds form one of the most eloquent literary documents in the history of European art. Composed as lectures to the students at the Royal Academy in the late eighteenth century, they both summarize the art theory of the previous three hundred years and point towards attitudes prevalent in the nineteenth century. Reynolds' general topic is the education of the artist. He is concerned with the essentials of the problem: the purpose of art, the nature of the creative process, and the artist's relation to tradition. He treats these questions with a breadth and clarity that won the immediate admiration of his contemporaries and have continued to hold the attention of readers ever since. No other body of art criticism by an Englishman has enjoyed such sustained respect. This standard edition of the 'Discourses' is reissued in a new format and with illustrations. It has long been recognised as a fundamental text for the study of eighteenth-century English painting, and this edition is generally considered to be the definitive one. Robert R. Wark was curator of art collections at the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: Paul Mellon Centre BA (December 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300073275
• ISBN-13: 978-0300073270
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #435,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discources on Art, July 7, 2010

By 

John Williamson (Cambridge, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Discourses on Art: New edition (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis) (Paperback)

I bought this book to better understand 17th and 18th Century British landscape painting and the works of Gainsborough, Turner and Constable. This is an invaluable source and although a bit dry to read, its not hard to image the great Sir Joshua standing before his pupils and imparting his wonderful knowledge of art. Much more than the simple mechanics and simplying copying great art to find how a painting was executed, it is about how to think and imagine how you feel and interprete the emotions the artist was trying to capture and portray. A brilliant teacher, Sir Joshua promoted that each work decribe the underlining concept of Nature and to fully grasp the fundamentals of art with patience and good bit of stamina. To achieve perfection, it was going to take years of hard work and no easy or quick way to become a great painter. To him and the Royal Academy, we owe much for the great artists they produced and the legacy of the most beautiful works ever created.

6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discourses on Art, March 14, 2000

By 

Wayne H. Johnson (Minneapolis, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Discourses on Art (Paperback)

This book is the definitive book on the thought behind Art. It states the thought procces, and the Art and Science dualisum of the last 600 years and the reasons behind it all. If you want to be a real artist, this is the way to go. It speaks of truth and genius.

"The natural appetite or tast of the human mind is for Truth"

"Art is a point of view, Genius a way of seeing."

If the artist can grasp the truths in this book they will recieve the keys to the kingdom!