The Paintings of Samuel Palmer

Cambridge University Press, 1985, 178 pages. Slight fade to spine, otherwise good secondhand condition.

This book provides an introduction to the development and content of Samuel Palmer's life and art. Written primarily for general readers, it also contains much of interest to art historians and to students at all levels. It is illustrated by many colour plates. An introduction, outlining the artist's life and background, is followed by commentaries on seventy-five of his works including, in addition to paintings, drawings important to the development of his work, and three etchings closely related to his painting. Palmer's intensely poetic vision, his debts to other artists, including Blake and Claude, his sources in literature, especially in the Bible, Milton, Virgil and Bunyan, are all discussed. His techniques are also described and related to individual works.