Product Description

J.W. Waterhouse was one of the most successful painters of the Victorian age, with many of his paintings becoming archetypal Victorian images. In this book the author, a practising painter and teacher, gives an artist's appreciation of Waterhouse as a master of Romantic Classicism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #216770 in Books
• Published on: 1994-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Customer Reviews

Don't get this one for the reproductions
I think I made a mistake when ordering and accidentally got this book instead of Trippi's hardcover. The narrative is interesting and insightful, but the reproductions are an outrage. Black and white for Circe Ividiosa and for (gasp) THE MAGIC CIRCLE??? Come on! Black and white should only be used to make a point about light and shade or for lesser works and studies. But there are several masterworks reproduced in B/W in this book. Also, the color reproductions are lousy as well. 3 stars overall out of respect for the author, but 1 star for the plates.

A brief introduction to the artist
If you're looking for a brief intro into who Waterhouse was and his paintings, then this book is for you. If however, you want to see his paintings in color and larger sizes, then do not get this book. This book is an overview of Waterhouse's life and paintings, not the complete story. For the complete story and paintings, buy Trippi's book instead.

The text is laid out well and in sequence of Waterhouse's life. I found myself compelled to read the entire book in a short time.

There are some color pictures, but they are not as vibrant as the Trippi book. Many of the pictures are black and white and some are quite small, fitting into the margins. It was frustrating to see the b&W pictures and to try to imagine what they were really supposed to look like. But if all you want is an overview and a sampling of Waterhouse's art, then this book may be more manageable than Trippi's.

Waterhouse: An Artist's Artist
During my education and professional life as an artist and professor of art, the work of the Pre-Raphaelites and their contemporaries especially Waterhouse was/is extremely appealing and inspirational to me and many of my peers who are painters or illustrators. His work is among the best of his and any era since. The lavish reproductions in this book do homage to the wonderful God-given ability of the artist. Waterhouse's nymphs, faeries and women are innocent, gorgeous, and fetching, his colors deep, dark and lush, his men heroic and altruistic. If you love PreRaphaelite era art, Romanticism, mythical stories skillfully represented in figure art, this is the book for you. Though I bought the book for the reproductions, I recently read the text and found it helpful.