The words "amateur artist" conjure up a picture of Victorian ladies and gentlemen sketching in watercolours out of doors, and of portfolios and sketchbooks filled with charmingly naive landscapes and flowers gathering dust in attics. This text sets out to challenge this image. Far from being a Victorian phenomenon, drawing and limning (painting in miniature) were among the polite accomplishments of courtiers and virtuosi of the 17th century Stuart court. In the 18th century royal princesses, ladies at court and their circle of friends made copies of paintings, miniatures and pastel portraits, and worked flowers in needlework, watercolour and cut-paper. Grand tourists of both sexes interpreted the landscape and people of Europe through eyes trained by drawing masters such as J.R. Cozens and John "Warwick" Smith. Over 200 works from the British Museum's collections are described and illustrated in this study of a neglected aspect of British art history.
- ISBN10 0714126241
- ISBN13 9780714126241
- Publish Date July 2000
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 12 April 2007
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint British Museum Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 256
- Language English