Pre-Raphaelite Vision: Truth to Natur

This is a large, thick catalogue full of excellent reproductions from the eponymous Tate exhibition of 2004. It concentrates on Victorian landscape of many painters whose techniques could be called Pre-Raphaelite but is not limited to members and known followers of the original Brotherhood. (There are many excellent watercolours by George Price Boyce.) In this are a lot of works that hadn't been previously exhibited, including many watercolours and it is full of the kind of fascinating information that I like. Not only who painted the work and when, but what they (and critics) said about it, where it was painted, their motivation, the difficulties they encountered and the pains that were taken to ensure "truth to nature".( As a painter I especially like the studies that were later incorporated into a larger more, finished work.)It is often forgotten that these painters were beavering away en plein air before the Impressionists and this catalogue gives a marvellous insight into them and their world.

This is a catalogue of a huge exhibition at the Tate Britain, but is also so much more. It deals only with the LANDSCAPE PAINTING of the Pre-Rapahelites and their fellow-travellers, so ignore it if you want Burne-Jones knights or Rosetti redheads. The title "Truth to Nature" is the key, and many artists we might not think of as Pre-Raphaelite feature here because they follow the philosophies of Ruskin in painting reality not a "noble dream".The text is excellent and stimulating, with the works grouped thematically as well as chronologically, set alongside academic essays of the highest quality.For anyone studying art history this is a necessary book. Anyone who thinks the Pre-Raphaelites were about wafty maidens will get a delightful eye-opener. The serious painter has much to learn, and most readers will be introduced to artists of whom they were unaware. The range of paintings and their quality form a useful counterbalance to the dominance of the Impressionists in the study of mid-late 19th century art.

Beautiful

Excellent photos and exciting writing