Customer Reviews

Myth and Romance (Phaidon Miniature Editions)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are truly interested in the work of Waterhouse DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. The images are small and poorly reproduced. Check the size of the pages and you will realize what postage stamps the images are.

If you are truly interested in the work of Waternouse get Hobson's book. There is very little price difference and it has normal pages sizes which beautifully reproduced photographs of the paintings.

The accompanying text is far more illuminating than the drivel printed in this book.

Judy Weller

To an avid admirer of the art of JW Waterhouse, this little book that could is a grand addition to a collection. The book is small enough to fit in your pocket, purse, or briefcase; perfect to slip out at moments you want to show a friend or coworker an example of that amazing artist.

The most brilliant part of the book is the way that it was made with several close up pictures of small areas of a certain painting, followed by a one or two page reproduction of the painting as a whole. This is a wonderful way for the admirer of Waterhouse's art to notice intricacies of the masterpieces that are not clear to see in Hobson's book. Also, I believe the reproductions in this book are superior to Hobson's. The lines appear crisper and more defined in this version, and the faces seem more expressive because of it.

A definite find, and a grand addition to anyone's collection!! I was not dissapointed in the least by this little book.

A waste of money especially if you are buying from another currency into american dollars. Buy something normal sized and get better quality reproductions. The book is acutally only about 4inches square - I thought previous reviews by other customers meant it was say a half-size A4, not so small I can put it in my top pocket and lose it!

I thought this book charming. It is a minature size but is ideal for giving as a gift to a fellow Waterhouse lover. There are a couple of paintings reproduced which aren't in the other Hobson books. Each painting is accompanied by a carefully chosen poetry fragment. I'm not sure why the previous reviewer called such text drivel - I would certainly not call the poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson drivel!

This mini-book is a beautiful collection of Waterhouse paintings. Most of the paintings revolve around mythical or poetic references which are explained in the appendix. I am ordering my second copy so I can tear one apart and use the pictures in crafts (like refrigerator magnets).

This little book is a pretty and informative presentation of Waterhouse's beautiful, sensual paintings. I especially liked the inclusion of the poems and text related to the painting subjects. The myth and legend summarys in the back are useful too.

I love this book. In fact people kept asking if they could borrow it from me, so i had to get a new one. One for lending and the other for myself.

J.W. Waterhouse, an Italian-born painter and illustrator, did his best known work for Primrose Hill Studios in London in the late 19th and early 20th Century.

This pocket-sized collection of his work showcases Waterhouse's paintings of some of the most famous scenes in mythology and classical literature. The full-color artwork is accompanied by quotations from Shakespeare, Tennyson, and many others.

Waterhouse painted in a vibrant style, giving special attention to the female figures on the classic stories that he was illustrating. While best known for the innocent, waif-like looks of his models, Waterhouse could make a character like Circe or Medea downright scary.

His vivid backgrounds evok Maxfield Parish, but the figures in his paintings are full of the tension of the moment, often a climactic event in the story.

Among the tales illustrated in this volume, you'll find Sakesspeare's Hamlet and The Tempest, scenes from the Odyssey and from the voyage of the Argonauts, The myths of Pyramus and Thisbe and Cupid and Psyche, and the legends of Fair Rosamund and The Lady of Shalott.

A section of notes at the end of the book includes a convenient synopsis of each of the stories depicted in the book.

The illustrations themselves are limited by the size of the book, but several of them also include details plates to give a closer look at an important portion of the full painting. This was an excellent introduction to the work of an extraordinary illustrator, although the artwork would be better appreciated in a larger-sized edition.

This book can give me a lot of ideas for my fashion photography.It is all about myth but there are so many romntic pictures and it inspires me a lot.