In his own lifetime, Welsh landscape painter Jones fell out of circulation due to the perennial caprices: art-world politics, changing tastes, personal finances, lost and damaged works. Happily, his overlooked career offers a singular pleasure-its rediscovery. In connection with the bicentenary of Jones's death and a major exhibition, curator Sumner and scholar Smith have compiled an extensive catalogue of the 18th-century artist's work, including erudite essays that closely examine Jones's trajectory, from apprenticeship with famed painter Richard Wilson to plein-air travels in Italy to his final years in Wales, and his technique: virtuoso paint-handling, precise underdrawing, experimental perspectives and a distinctly warm palette. More compelling than the well-documented text are the reproductions, revealing the evolution of Jones's style and subject matter, as it moved from grand classical themes to small-scale panoramas to humble rooftop laundry lines. The sharply cropped compositions of the artist's Neapolitan oil sketches in particular suggest an innovative, modernist eye, "a proto-photographic presence." For the uninitiated, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to a fresh talent; for the landscape enthusiast, it is an overdue affirmation. 50 b&w and 150 color reproductions.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
Thomas Jones, a pupil of Richard Wilson and a talented Welsh landscape artist, has received increasing popular attention in recent decades although little has been published about his life and work. This comprehensive catalogue seeks to fill that gap, offering essays by Jones scholars and presenting over 150 paintings from throughout the artist's career. It presents research findings, information about Jones's techniques, and reproductions of many paintings, to provide a full view of this important artist and his appealing works. Separate chapters explore various aspects of Jones's career, including his work before, during and after his time in Italy; his life as a chronicler and memoirist in Wales; and his materials and painting techniques. Full-colour catalogue entries provide information on 150 paintings, from Jones's small, luminous landscapes to his large and ambitious classical works. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
See all Editorial Reviews