Gaunt William. The great century of British painting. Hogarth to Turner

Distributed by E. P. Dutton. — New York; Oxford : Phaidon, 1971. — 240 p. — ISBN10: 0714814520 / ISBN13: 9780714814520.The eighteenth century was the great age of British painting. It was in this period that British art attained a distinct national character. William Hogarth, born just before the turn of the century, was the first major artist to reject foreign influence and establish a kind of art whose themes and subjects were thoroughly British. His penetrating, witty portrayal of the contemporary scene, his protest against social injustice and his attacks on the vulgarities of fashionable society make him one of the most original and significant of British artists. Hogarth was followed by a row of illustrious painters: Thomas Gainsborough, with his lyrical landscapes, 'fancy pictures' and portraits; the intellectual Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted charming society portraits and became the first president of the Royal Academy; and George Stubbs, who is an artist of the greatest visual perception and sensitivity. There are many others, including Wright of Derby, Wilson, Lawrence, Ramsay, Raeburn, Romney, Wheatley, and the young Turner. This book presents a rich selection of the works of these and other artists of the period. A striking feature of the book is the large number of detail reproductions illustrating the artists' techniques and styles.