J W Waterhouse And The Magic Of Color

English painter John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) communicates his aesthetic vision through his use of color. Throughout his career, he experimented with color as an element with seemingly spatial qualities. His works have an unusual formalism--figures and settings often appear not merely realistic but somewhat hyperreal. Yet paradoxically Waterhouse's works border on the abstract, prioritizing chromatic features over content. They invite us to focus on colors--and through them line, shape, texture and rhythm--in much the same way as works by Kandinsky, Klee, Matisse or Pollock.

English painter John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) communicates his aesthetic vision through his use of color. Throughout his career, he experimented with color as an element with seemingly spatial qualities. His works have an unusual formalism—figures and settings often appear not merely realistic but somewhat hyperreal. Yet paradoxically Waterhouse’s works border on the abstract, prioritizing chromatic features over content. They invite us to focus on colors—and through them line, shape, texture and rhythm—in much the same way as works by Kandinsky, Klee, Matisse or Pollock.

A miniature edition of the work of J W Waterhouse.

With his grand scale and richly colored canvases and studies, John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) was one of the most influential painters of the 19th century. In this brilliantly illustrated survey, edited by a leading Waterhouse scholar, the painter's seductive vision of femininity is captured in sumptuous reproductions and illuminated by an engaging and informative text. Published to accompany an important exhibition of the artist's work, the book explores Waterhouse's creative responses to such contemporary concerns as medievalism, the classical tradition, and spiritualism. A comprehensive examination of his life and work, including his well-known painting "The Lady of Shallott, "this volume explores also the artist's connection to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and his engagement with French art of the period.

Colorists of all ages are invited to create their own versions of 60 great paintings. From masterpieces by Michelangelo and Raphael to striking creations by Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, this ready-to-color collection includes excellent renderings of Grant Wood's American Gothic, Winslow Homer's Snap the Whip, and Edward Hopper's Hotel Room, as well as compositions by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Edward Burne-Jones, Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Vincent van Gogh, and 45 other great artists. Printed on one side only, the illustrations can be colored with a variety of media, including watercolors. All paintings are shown in original colors on the inside covers and notes provide information on each artist.