True to Life: British Realist Painting in the 1920s and 1930s - Softcover

Well worth being brought back into the light.--The Telegraph The exhibition of the season.--The Times Full of beautiful things.--The Scotsman Enthralling!--The Guardian Just glorious... Don't miss it.--The Times Wonderfully varied exhibition.--Financial Times An eye-opener of an exhibition.--The Observer Exquisite!--The Spectator Timely and exciting.--BBC Arts Hugely surprisingly and eye-opening...--The Herald Sprinkled generously with jewels.--Sunday Times Yields pure pleasure.--The Times (Scotland) A major review of British realist painting in the 20s and 30s.--The List Paintings so realistic you could reach into them.--Metro This exhibition is ground-breaking.--RA Magazine

British realist art of the 1920s and 1930s is visually stunning - strong, seductive and demonstrating extraordinary technical skill. Despite this, it is often overshadowed by abstract art. This book presents the very first overview of British realist painting of the period, showcasing outstanding works from private and public collections across the UK. Of the forty artists featured in the show, many were major figures in the 1920s and 1930s but later passed out of fashion as abstraction and Pop Art became the dominant trends in the post-war years. In the last decade their work has re-emerged and interest in them has grown. Interwar realist art embraces a number of different styles, but is characterised by fine drawing, meticulous craftsmanship, a tendency towards classicism and an aversion to impressionism and visible brushwork. Artists such as Gerald Leslie Brockhurst, Meredith Frampton, James Cowie and Winifred Knights combine fastidious Old Master detail with 1920s modernity. Stanley Spencer spans various camps while Lucian Freud's early work can be seen as a realist coda which continued into the 1940s and beyond.Featuring many Scottish and women artists, this book promises a fascinating insight into this captivating period of British art. Exhibition to be held at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh from 1 July to 29 October 2017.