Product Description

A two-volume catalogue of the paintings of English portrait painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds. It includes an illustration of nearly all of the artist's works and offers a critical re-examination of each painting, taking advantage of modern methods and the findings of conservation experts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #298264 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-10
• Format: Box set
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1264 pages

From Library Journal
It has been a full century since the last complete catalog of Reynolds's works was published, bringing together paintings scattered throughout the world on museum walls and in the corridors of stately homes. Mannings (history of art, Univ. of Aberdeen) and Postle (senior curator, Tate Collections) have produced an outstanding scholarly work that could well serve students of 18th-century art history for the next century. Relying on first-hand inspection of the works wherever possible and using current techniques and methodology, the authors present an important reexamination of the paintings along with new insights into studio practices and procedures of the period. The introductory essays are examples of art history at its best, with no sacrifice of clarity to scholarship. The text volume is divided into portraits (including self-portraits) and subject pictures, landscapes, and copies after old masters, all in alphabetical order. Each entry has a wealth of detail that includes descriptive, historical, and bibliographical data as well as listings of any copies; also included are the dates of sittings, comments made about the work, and the price paid. The plates volume follows much the same order, with the addition of 136 excellent color plates of varying themes; these are followed by black-and-white illustrations of portraits in chronological order, with the subject pictures following in alphabetical order. Extensive endmatter and appendixes complete the book. An outstanding example of art history at its best, these volumes will serve their readers in many ways and for many years.DPaula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"An outstanding example of art history at its best" -- Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Library

"Brilliantly illuminates the culture and personalities of this heroic and confident age. A splendid achievement." -- Choice

From the Inside Flap
This splendid two-volume catalogue of the paintings of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), the father of British portrait painting and first president of the Royal Academy, represents one of the most important scholarly projects of recent decades in the field of eighteenth-century British art. Reynolds's paintings-well over two thousand-are scattered across the world in hundreds of public and private collections and libraries. The catalogue includes illustrations of nearly all of the artist's works and offers a critical reexamination of each painting, taking full advantage of modern methods and the findings of conservation experts. David Mannings provides the entries for the portraits, and Martin Postle contributes the entries for Reynolds's historical and fancy pictures. Taking into account two centuries of art criticism and the observations of leading modern authorities, the catalogue also considers such enlightening documents as the artist's sitter-books and ledgers. It re-examines Reynolds's studio practice and procedures, working methods, use of assistants and prices, and it delineates with new clarity the distinction between Reynolds's work and that of his many followers and imitators.

Customer Reviews

Depends what you're after
I personally think, that these volumes would normally appeal to an art or university library, but the average art lover could find them a tad disappointing for the price. Both volumes are huge - measuring about 12cm wide together on the bookcase; but the text volume is only text and the prints are mostly black and white.
I wouldn't attempt to knock these guys for inaccuracy. They seem to have taken a thorough and methodical approach to the whole subject with the details of each portrait carefully listed and catalogued. However, I do think it's a shame that they didn't go the extra mile and ensure that more of the reproductions were in colour. Reynolds was a superb portrait artist and I don't feel that this catalogue comes even close to really showcaseing his work.
Regarding the colour plates; in the prints volume there are 132 in colour, but a fairly random selection that I think misses a lot of his best portrait work. The rest of the prints are in black and white and listed four to a page. I was also a bit disappointed with the quality of the photography, as I've seen better prints of most of the paintings that I recognised in other publications.
So five stars for the scholarship and research - but in my opinion, for the price, only get it if you really, really love Reynolds.