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I have been an
enthusiastic admirer and buyer of the excellent books produced by The Antique
Collectors Club for a considerable time now. That books are published by the
club is a guarantee of the standard of the writing, depth of research, and
quality of their illustrations. I list below some of the art books produced by
the ACC, with the strongest possible recommendation.
The Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Wood
 Volume 1 The Text
The “must have” for anyone enthusiastic about Victorian art. An invaluable source of information. A book I return to again and again.
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 Volume 2 The Pictures
An admirable companion for volume 1.
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Both these books have the strongest possible recommendation from Victorian Art In Britain. They are amazingly comprehensive, and very inexpensive for the wealth of information they offer.
 A Pre-Raphaelite Marriage, The Lives and Works of Marie Spartali Stillman and William James Stillman
By David B Elliott
I have long been interested in Marie Spartali Stillman, a member of one of the successful Greek families who were such a feature of the English art scene of the second half on the nineteenth century. Marie was, with the exception of Jane Morris, the leading Pre-Raphaelite stunner - she was tall, beautiful, and serene. She was also, in her own right, an artist of distinction, and creator of beautiful watercolours, rather in the manner of Rossetti, and later, perhaps, Burne Jones. David Elliott is to be congratulated on choosing this fascinating woman as the subject for this book. Her dour non-conformist American husband James Stillman (who was the model for Merlin in “ The Beguiling of Merlin ” by Burne Jones), is a much less sympathetic character. The book is well researched and well written, and may be enjoyed as a scholarly work or a coffee table adornment. The book was designed by Sandra Pond, who has done such an excellent job she merits this mention.
A must-have for all enthusiasts of nineteenth century art.
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 Life & Paintings of Benjamin Williams Leader RA
By Ruth Wood MA. This book is the result of many years study by Ruth Wood,
probably the greatest expert on Leader, whose beautiful landscapes have an
enduring appeal. The book is produced to the usual high standards of the
Antique Collectors Club, and lavishly illustrated. The colour plates are
excellent. A strong recommendation. (PHR 6/6/03)
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 The
Dictionary of Portrait Painters In Britain up to 1920
By
Bryan Stewart and Mervyn Cutten. This book is amazingly comprehensive, and is
an invaluable, in fact, standard work about its subject. It is invaluable to
the enthusiast and the professional alike. I have to confess that I love
portraits, particularly those that are highly finished, and of attractive
women. The ability of the best portrait painters to show the character of
their sitters is fascinating. Yet again produced to the exacting standards of
the Antique Collectors Club. (PHR 6/6/03)
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 AubreyBeardsley
Brian Reade's wonderful book about
Beardsley, who, though he lived to be 24 years old left an immense volume of
work. Beardsley worked in black and white, and was one of England's greatest
illustrators. He was identified with the decadent movement, and many of his
drawings have a marked erotic content. The book is produced to the Antique
Collectors Club standard, and lavishly illustrated. (PHR 6/6/03)
Buy it from Amazon.com or from Amazon.co.uk
 The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists Up to 1920.
This
magisterial book is indispensable for both the serious student of Victorian
Art, and the less dedicated enthusiast who just wants to know more. The number
of highly accomplished
watercolourists in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries was phenomenal. Huon Mallalieu’s book has been revised and
improved for this the third edition. I have just acquired these two volumes,
and they exceeded my expectations. The amount of information they contain is
amazing, the coloured prints are brilliant, and the quality of the books is
exceptional. Published in March 2003. In two volumes.
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 Herbert Draper
Simon
Toll’s book on this unjustly neglected Victorian artist has been eagerly
awaited for some time. It is likely to help in the long-overdue re-evaluation
of this great painter, whose wonderful picture “The Kelpie” made such a
vivid impression on me during my first visit to the Lady Lever Art Gallery
many years ago. On subsequent visits to the gallery, my favourite, I always
look at this great picture first.
This
book is due to be published in May 2003 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com or from Amazon.co.uk
 John
William Godward, The Eclipse of Classicism.
Vern
Grosvenor Swanson’s magnificent book. Godawrd has, until recently been
regarded as merely a minor follower of alma-Tadema, but in recent years the
prices realised at auction of his pictures have dramatically increased. This
increase has been driven by private buyers, mainly in the United States. Dr
Swanson'’ book is the product of more than twenty years of research, and is
a convincing endorsement of the painter’s output, and his achievement.
Godward’s beautiful pictures are lavishly illustrated, and the reproduction
of the colours is nothing less than brilliant. A masterly book regarding a
highly talented, fascinating, and tragic figure. It is an essential feature on
the bookshelves of any admirer of the unhappy John William Godward
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 Arthur
Hughes His Life and Works. A Catalogue Raisonne
Leonard
Roberts is the foremost authority on Arthur Hughes, and this magnificent book,
which commences with a short biography by Stephen Wildman is a tribute to the
work of Arthur Hughes, a most loveable, modest, and gentle man. Magnificently
presented and illustrated.
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 Frederick
Sandys 1829-1904 A Catalogue Raisonne
Sandys
was a fascinating figure, until recently sadly neglected. Betty Elzea does
much to remedy this neglect in this Catalogue Raisonne the product of many
years of tireless research. Sandys was fully the equal of Millais as a
draughtsman, a brilliant painter in oils, and as a portraitist in coloured
chalks without peer. His bohemian
lifestyle resulted in a large illegitimate family, and a life of continuous
financial chaos
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 Fairies
In Victorian Art, by Christopher Wood.
Over
a century later it is difficult for modern readers to understand the Victorian
obsession with fairies, but as the paintings of Richard Dadd, and Sir Joseph
Noel Paton indicate, an obsession it certainly was. This remarkable book,
written by Christopher Wood, the doyen of writers on Victorian Art, does an
excellent job of explaining this obsessive interest and its roots. The book is
illustrated comprehensively, and the colours, and quality of production is to
the usual exceptionally high standards of the Antique Collectors’ Club.
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 19th
Century British Book Illustrators, by Simon Houfe
The
19th century was the golden age of book illustration, nowhere more
so than in Britain. Virtually all the leading artists of the day worked to a
greater or lesser degree in book illustration. The engravers in this field
must have been amongst the most skilled of all craftsmen.
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High Society The Life
& Art of Sir Francis Grant by Catherine Wills.
The Dictionary of Sea Painters of Britain and America by E H H Archibald.