Victorian Painting (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Wood, an expert in the art of the Victorian period, sets out to prove the wealth and diversity of English Victorian painting, placing it in the social context of its time. The discussion of issues such as the rise of middle-class patronage, the increasing importance of the dealer, and the emergence of museums helps situate Victorian painting. Wood's major premise is that Victorian art was not only a popular means of illustrating modern life but that it also continued the earlier phase of 19th-century Romanticism through its passion for history and literary illusion. These themes are reflected in the 28 thematic chapters. Unlike Lionel Lambourne's Victorian Painting (LJ 12/99), which is more international and comprehensive in scope, Wood focuses solely on England and the artists who worked there. Lambourne also touches more on contemporary art historical methodology as seen, for example, in his much stronger feminist take on the role of Victorian women in society. And the design of Wood's book tends to feel more cramped than Lambourne's, with images often squeezed onto the page or cropped to fit. Yet Wood's book is still a strong offering on the subject and is recommended for both large libraries with general book collections and for those that support programs in art and art research.DSandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll., MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

"A spectacular book on the most popular era of British painting from 1837 to 1914 by the world's leading authority in the field. The Victorian era and its aftermath were the backdrop to one of the great flowerings of British art. The genre arose from a ferment of activity from which the Pre-Raphaelites emerged along with Leighton's luxurious classical mythologies, as well as a fascinating diversity in other artistic fields. Christopher Wood, a leading expert who has not only studied but also brought, owned, and sold examples of everything he writes about, takes us through the artistry of Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Waterhouse, and others to show the succession of movements characterizing the Victorian period."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821223267
• ISBN-13: 978-0821223260
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 10.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #363,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Victorian Painting by Christopher Wood, April 1, 2000

By	Abby B. "WesleyDennis.com" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

What a gorgeous book! I have a rather extensive collection of books on Victorian painting and painters, and this one is the best! Christopher Wood covers everything from the Pre-Raphaelites on through Waterhouse and the Romantics and on to the start of impressionism. It is full of beautiful color and B&W illustrations - many of which are not seen in other books of the same subject. The text is easy to read and understand. Very highly recommended!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous!, June 6, 2000

By A Customer

Breathtaking paintings and the author covers practically 99% of the era, my favorite sections are dealing with the painter Waterhouse and Lord Leighton, beautiful! I am definitely adding this to my collection of art books!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Important Art Book, October 18, 2004

By	John Ng "http://community.webshots.com/user/p... (Perth, WA Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Victorian Painting (Hardcover)

Christopher Wood has done it again. No serious lover of art should be without this book, which contains many clear large images and well-written text.

It is a great companion of Lionel Lambourne's "Victorian Painting". They do NOT overlap each other but seems to work together filling in the gaps where one left off. If you love beautiful art, get them both, you wouldn't be disappointed. I wish there could be a lot more of books like these around.