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Spirit of Place

Artists, Writers and the British Landscape
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( 67 ratings, 13 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
iSpirit of Place by Susan Owens explores how British landscapes have inspired and influenced art and literature over the centuries. The author delves into the deep connections between artists, writers, and their environments, examining how the natural world shapes and is shaped by creative expression. This book offers a rich journey through the intertwined history of culture and geography.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you appreciate exploring the intersections of art, culture, and the unique character of the British landscape, this book may captivate your imagination. It delves into the historical and artistic significance of various locales, revealing how artists have been inspired by and interpreted these places over centuries. This work might appeal to you if you enjoy immersing yourself in the stories and symbolism that landscapes can represent in art and history.

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A lyrical, critically acclaimed account of the British landscape in writing and art from Beowulf to now.

A lyrical, critically acclaimed account of the British landscape in writing and art from Beowulf to now

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

When we look at the landscape, what do we see? Do we experience the view over a valley or dappled sunlight on a path in the same way as those who were there before us? We have altered the countryside in innumerable ways over the last thousand years, and never more so than in the last hundred. How are these changes reflected inβ€”and affected byβ€”art and literature?

Spirit of Place offers a panoramic view of the British landscape as seen through the eyes of writers and artists from Bede and the Gawain-poet to Gainsborough, Austen, W. G. Sebald and Barbara Hepworth. Shaped by these distinctive voices and evocative imagery, Susan Owens describes how the British landscape has been framed, reimagined, and reshaped by each generation. Each account or work of art, whether illuminated in a manuscript, jotted down in a journal, or constructed from sticks and stones, holds up a mirror to its maker and their world.

With 80 illustrations

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Spirit of Place by Susan Owens receives high praise for its engaging, lyrical, and wide-ranging exploration of how perceptions of the British countryside have evolved. Critics commend Owens' ability to mix art, literature, and culture, revealing changes in landscape views with precision and skill. The book is described as an evocative and beautifully illustrated study, inviting readers to reconsider the British landscape through a richly embroidered narrative full of insights and surprises.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780500296356

Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 22 July 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 580g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Dr Susan Owens is an art historian and exhibition curator who has worked at the Royal Collection and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her previous books include The Ghost: A Cultural History, described by the Guardian as 'eloquent and lively', and Who Shall Deliver Me? Christina Rossetti: Poetry in Art.

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