Book of the Month September 2022: Eric Ravilious

September's Book of the Month is the new paperback edition of Alan Powers' bestseller Eric Ravilious: Artist & Designer! It is the perfect accompanying read for the wonderful documentary film by Margy Kinmouth, Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War - screenings of which have been selling out across the country - and the current exhibition of Ravilious' (and other British artists') work at The Lightbox gallery! 

‘the most informative and well-crafted account of all aspects of this remarkable artist's achievement’ - Andrew Lambirth

Read on for more about the book and film... And don't forget! You can get a special 20% off our Book of the Month with code MONTH20.

 

More popular than ever, the work of Eric Ravilious (1903-42) is rooted in the landscape of pre-war and early wartime England.

An established authority on Ravilious, Alan Powers provides in this book the most comprehensive overview to date of the artist's work in all media - watercolour, illustration, printmaking, graphic design, textiles and ceramics - and firmly positions Ravilious as a major figure in the history of early 20th-century British art.

Now available in paperback, the accessible and engaging text, copiously illustrated with reproductions of work drawn from a range of sources, discusses the part Ravilious' work played in creating an English style, positioned between tradition and modernism, and borrowing from naive and popular art of the past. 

The book analyses Ravilious' different spheres of activity in turn, covering his education and formative influences, his mural painting, his printmaking and illustration, his work as leader in forming a new style of watercolour painting between the wars and his final period as an official War Artist. In a career curtailed by an early death, Ravilious also played a significant role as a designer; Powers argues that Ravilious showed how decoration and historical reference could find a place in the reform of the applied arts whilst simultaneously renewing a sense of national identity.

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IN OTHER MEDIA:

Covering many similar questions of national identity and 'Englishness' in the visual arts, Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War is the first full length feature documentary about Eric Ravilious, told in his own words through previously unseen private correspondence, made with the blessing of the Ravilious estate.

Find out more about the film HERE.

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ON SHOW THIS MONTH

You should also check out The Ingram Collection & The Fry Art Gallery's exhibition ‘Bawden, Ravilious and the art of Great Bardfield’ which celebrates the story of the thriving artists’ community that sprang up in Great Bardfield, a village in north-west Essex.

The exhibition features works by Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden and John Aldridge, as well as a second wave of artists such as Michael Rothenstein, George Chapman and Walter Hoyle. Open until 9 October 2022 at The Lightbox, Woking.

 

 

You can order your copy of Eric Ravilious: Artist & Designer from www.lundhumphries.com now!
Apply code MONTH20 for 20% off until the end of September!