George Cruikshank

Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 92K words
Chapters: 10

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.George Cruikshank by William Makepeace ThackerayAuthor: Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863,Language: English, Class: NC: Fine Arts: Drawing, Design, Illustration, Release Date: May 22, 2006

Editor's review

Thackeray's text on George Cruikshank is a rewarding read among nineteenth-century studies of English caricaturists. A distinguished novelist with a sharp eye for social observation, Thackeray writes about the life and work of his contemporary with both a critic's judgment and a literary man's wit. Centered on Cruikshank's illustrations and caricatures, the book discusses the relationship between his draftsmanship, his subjects, and the tastes of the age, and is useful for understanding the tradition of English caricature and the art of illustration. As a public-domain eBook from Project Gutenberg, it is easy to search and check against the original text, making it suitable as supplementary material for reading across art history and literary history. It is best read alongside the pictures, the better to appreciate the measure of the author's judgments. This is not a systematic general history of art but rather a warm critical biography, suited to slow reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in English caricature and the art of illustration
Scholars studying the relationship between nineteenth-century English literature and art
Readers who enjoy Thackeray's style and want to read his nonfiction
Students and teachers in need of public-domain English art criticism materials

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a systematic art history textbook or a catalogue of plates
Readers with limited English reading ability who need a Chinese translation
People who only want high-resolution plates and are not interested in textual commentary

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself with Cruikshank's representative illustrations first, then read the commentary; understanding will be more concrete
Read alongside materials on nineteenth-century British social history and pay attention to the historical context
As a public-domain eBook, it is advisable to take notes and excerpt key critical remarks for easy reference

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 book a biography of Cruikshank or a collection of plates?

From the material, this is a textual work on Cruikshank written by Thackeray; it is art criticism and critical biography in nature, not a collection of plates. The book discusses his illustrations and caricature work, but specific plates must be found elsewhere, and it is best to read the text alongside the pictures.

Can I read it without a background in art history?

Yes, but it requires some patience. The text is nineteenth-century English criticism dealing with specific artists and works, and comprehension will suffer without background. It is advisable to acquire some basic knowledge of English caricature before entering the main text; the rewards will be more evident.

Why recommend reading the original English eBook?

The book is released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain English eBook; it is easy to obtain and easy to search in the original. For researchers it can be quoted and checked directly, and for general readers it is a low-cost way to encounter Thackeray's nonfiction writing.

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About the author

Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863 Author

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) was a nineteenth-century British novelist. Publicly available details of his life are limited, so this entry relies mainly on the 42 works held in the collection and their representative titles. Among them, Vanity Fair is the best known, offering a satirical portrait of society; Barry Lyndon, The History of Pendennis and Henry Esmond are also representative works. Thackeray is known for depicting human weaknesses and social manners in a humorous yet coolly observant tone, with unhurried narration and understated irony. The collection includes novels as well as essays and lectures, giving readers a sense of his writing and of the style of Victorian fiction.