Raeburn

James Lewis CawProject Gutenberg · United StatesMar 2023

3.3

Word count: 65K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Raeburn by Sir J. L. CawAuthor: Caw, J. L. (James Lewis), Sir, 1864-1950,Language: English, Class: ND: Fine Arts: Painting, Release Date: Oct 22, 2009

Editor's review

This is a critical biography of the Scottish painter Sir Henry Raeburn by James Lewis Caw, a twentieth-century British art historian who devoted much of his career to Scottish painting. The book centres on Raeburn's portraits, discussing his brushwork, composition and his grasp of character, and also touches on the Edinburgh society and artistic circles in which he moved. For the general reader its value lies in placing a painter who is not widely known back into his historical context; the prose has the composure and judgement of early art criticism. Illustrations are combined with analysis of individual works, making it a quiet stroll through art history. Note that this is an early twentieth-century English-language work whose style differs from today's popular art books; readers need some grounding in English and an interest in portraiture to savour it.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of British painting and Scottish art
Students of art history who need to know about Raeburn himself
Readers used to reading English and fond of old-style art criticism
Art lovers who want background knowledge before visiting a gallery

Not a good fit for

Readers with no English reading ability who expect a Chinese-language picture book
Those who only want high-quality plates and don't care about the text
General readers with no interest in portraiture or art history

Reading tips

Start by finding images of Raeburn's major works and read the corresponding chapters alongside them; it will make more sense.
Extract the passages on the period background as social clues for understanding the works.
Look up unfamiliar painters and place names as you go; there's no need to finish it in one sitting.
Afterwards, pick a favourite work and try describing the sitter's character in your own words.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this a picture book or a written biography?

It is primarily a written critical biography, discussing Raeburn's life and works; it may include some plates, but it is not mainly a high-quality picture book. Readers who chiefly want to look at paintings should find a separate picture book to accompany it.

Can I read it without knowing Raeburn?

Yes. The book introduces Raeburn's life and background, so no prior familiarity is needed. Still, looking at a few of his portraits before reading will make it easier to get into.

What is the author Caw's background?

James Lewis Caw was a British art historian who worked for many years on Scottish painting and wrote books on Scottish painters and the history of painting. This book reflects his attention to his native artistic tradition.

Comments

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About the author

James Lewis Caw Author · British · 1864–1950

James Lewis Caw (1864–1950) was a Scottish art historian and gallery director known for his research on Scottish painting. One of his works is held in this collection, Raeburn, a study devoted to the Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn. Judging from the available material, his writing focuses on individual painters and their works, with attention to historical sources and stylistic analysis; his prose is plain and restrained, and suits readers interested in the history of Scottish painting. Public information about the details of his life is limited, so this note is confined to confirmed facts—his name, nationality, dates, professional direction and representative work—without speculative additions.