Arthur Hughes: A Catalogue Raisonné by Leonard Roberts, Stephen Wildman

From the Publisher

Until now Arthur Hughes has, with some justification, been called the unknown Pre-Raphaelite. In spite of his close artistic and social connections with, among others, Rossetti, Madox Brown, Holman Hunt, Burne-Jones, William Morris, Tennyson and Lewis Carroll, and although his work can be seen in major collections throughout the world, he has been considered an elusive figure in the history of British art. This Catalogue Raisonn,, the first book solely devoted to Hughes' life and works, aims to redress the balance and put him firmly on the map. It shows him to have been an immensely likeable and modest man, with a wide circle of friends and an extremely happy family life. More to the point, it also shows him to have been among the foremost painters of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. As a good figure painter, especially of children, and a talented colourist, he was sensitive to the aims of the Brotherhood and a leading exponent of their technical practices. Over 80 when he died in the early years of

Library Journal

Arthur Hughes was an important if elusive Pre-Raphaelite artist (1832-1915) known for only a few works. Having achieved preeminence early in his career, he no longer met with critical acclaim by the 1860s, when the Pre-Raphaelite influences on British painting had largely passed. This catalogue raisonn performs the valuable task of bringing together the artist's works from a wide variety of sources and is now the standard reference work on Hughes; it will contribute in no small measure to restoring his reputation. Stephen Wildman has written a biographical introduction using all the available documentation and the artist's large number of surviving letters. The catalogue, which provides the fullest information on each painting, is a model of scholarly research and is unlikely to be replaced for a long time. The illustrations are well done and the book is well produced. A valuable reference work at a very reasonable price; for every serious art library.Martin Chasin, Adult Inst., Bridgeport, CT

Booknews

An elusive figure in the history of British art, although his work can be seen in major collections throughout the world, Hughes (1832-1915) was a prolific member of the Pre-Raphaelite circle. He stuck to a lyrical, poetical kind of painting, mainly of domestic subjects, with a strong landscape element. This catalogue raisonn<'e> includes 110 color and 250 b&w plates, with description and provenance of each work. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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