Synopses & Reviews
Eric Ravilious (1903-42) was killed in 1942, at the age of thirty-nine, while in Iceland in his capacity as Official War Artist. In his short working life he figured among a group of exceptionally gifted artists, including Edward Bawden and John Nash, who came into prominence just before World War II. He achieved considerable success with his design work in a variety of fields, and is acknowledged to be one of the great English wood-engravers. But his watercolors remained relatively unknown until the publication of this book, which is ironic when one considers that Ravilious himself felt that his most serious work was landscape painting in watercolor. In these watercolors, Ravilious's England reveals itself as an England of rolling downland, quiet lanes, country gardens, greenhouses and farmhouse interiors, but the apparent calm and still beauty of the countryside are threatened by the storm clouds of an imminent war. The tensions inherent in this situation underly Ravilious's distinctive paintings. The England of Eric Ravilious is being republished to commemorate the centenary of the artist's birth.
Synopsis
First published in 1938, this classic book introduces the British high street, pairing the timeless illustrations of beloved artist Eric Ravilious with an engaging text by architectural historian J. M. Richards. Shops include the family butcher, the cheesemonger, the knife grinder, and the oyster bar. Only 2,000 copies of the original book were printed before the lithographic plates were destroyed in the London Blitz during World War II. As a result, it has become one of the most collectible of all artistand#8217;s books from this period. This beautiful facsimile edition features Raviliousand#8217;s illustrations in exquisite color and includes an essay by VandA curator Gill Saunders, putting the book and its history into context.
About the Author
Eric Ravilious (1903and#8211;1942) was a painter, designer, illustrator, and wood engraver and remains one of the best-known English artists of the 1930s. He died at 39 while on service as an Official War Artist in WWII. Sir J. M. Richards (1907and#8211;1992) was the editor of the Architectural Review from 1937 to 1971 and architectural correspondent for the London Times for more than 20 years. Gill Saunders is a senior curator at the VandA.