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Samuel Palmer

Shadows on the Wall
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
Samuel Palmer (1805–1881) was a leading 19th-century British landscape painter renowned for his spiritual interpretation of nature, inspired by William Blake. This richly illustrated biography by William Vaughan, a foremost scholar on Palmer, draws on unpublished diaries and letters to provide a fresh perspective on Palmer‘s life and work. Far from a recluse, Palmer engaged fully with Victorian cultural life and aimed to exert moral influence through his art. Vaughan also explores Palmer‘s later alignment with the Pre-Raphaelite movement and his role as a precursor to modernism.
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Format: Hardback
$11999
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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?

This book is ideal for art historians, students, and enthusiasts of 19th-century British art, particularly those interested in landscape painting, William Blake’s influence, and the Pre-Raphaelite movement. It also appeals to readers fascinated by Victorian cultural history and the roots of modernism.

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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

Samuel Palmer (1805–1881) was one of the leading British landscape painters of the 19th century. Inspired by his mentor, the artist and poet William Blake, Palmer brought a new spiritual intensity to his interpretation of nature, producing works of unprecedented boldness and fervency.

Pre-eminent scholar William Vaughanβ€”who organized the Palmer retrospective at the British Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005β€”draws on unpublished diaries and letters, offering a fresh interpretation of one of the most attractive and sympathetic, yet idiosyncratic, figures of the 19th century. Far from being a recluse, as he is often presented, Palmer was actively engaged in Victorian cultural life and sought to exert a moral power through his artwork.

Beautifully illustrated with Palmer's visionary and enchanted landscapes, the book contains rich studies of his work, influences, and resources. Vaughan also shows how later, enthralled by the Pre-Raphaelite movement, Palmer manipulated his own artistic image to harmonise with it. Little appreciated in his lifetime, Palmer is now hailed as a precursor of modernism in the 20th century.


Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

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?

Critics praise Vaughan‘s comprehensive and engaging account of Palmer. Ruth Guilding of the Evening Standard describes it as a ‘magisterial, readable account’ that captures Palmer’s enduring resonance. Alice Spawls in the TLS highlights Vaughan's refusal to depict Palmer as merely an isolated visionary, offering instead a rich portrait of his age and influences. Choice commends the monograph’s thorough chronology and full-colour illustration, while Kate Flint at Public Books appreciates the depiction of Palmer‘s idealised rural world.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300209853

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 29 June 2015

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 180 color + 120 b-w illus.

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 241.0mm

Height: 279.0mm

Weight: 2359g

Pages: 412

About the Author

William Vaughan is professor emeritus of history of art at Birkbeck College at the University of London.Β 
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