Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision

Whenever a monograph is released in conjunction with a gallery or museum exhibition, it usually shares the faults and successes of the show that inspired it. The biggest problem here is that it has a very limited selection of Hunt's paintings, reflecting the real-world logistical difficulties of convincing private owners and public galleries to part with such rare, expensive and delicate treasures. The reproductions in the book are limited, therefore, and on more than one occasion include slightly different variations of the same painting, as well as thoroughly irrelevant photographs of Hunt's homemade shirts and skirts and whatnot. As a consumer, I would appreciate a selection of the works they couldn't acquire for the exhibition; there is no reason for not including them, and it would improve the anemic limitations of the catalogue. One more gripe: many of the reproductions are of a poor quality, which there is no excuse for. Hunt enthusiasts should wait for a Phaidon monograph, a publisher who has done brilliant work with Millais, Waterhouse, and Alma-Tadema.

Whenever a monograph is released in conjunction with a gallery or museum exhibition, it usually shares the faults and successes of the show that inspired it. The biggest problem here is that it has a very limited selection of Hunt's paintings, reflecting the real-world logistical difficulties of convincing private owners and public galleries to part with such rare, expensive and delicate treasures. The reproductions in the book are limited, therefore, and on more than one occasion include slightly different variations of the same painting, as well as thoroughly irrelevant photographs of Hunt's homemade shirts and skirts and whatnot. As a consumer, I would appreciate a selection of the works they couldn't acquire for the exhibition; there is no reason for not including them, and it would improve the anemic limitations of the catalogue. One more gripe: many of the reproductions are of a poor quality, which there is no excuse for. Hunt enthusiasts should wait for a Phaidon monograph, a publisher who has done brilliant work with Millais, Waterhouse, and Alma-Tadema.

I haven't finished reading it yet, but so far, the book is well-written and seems to have a clear view of Hunt's work in relation to the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, as well as solid treatment of his trips to Palestine. There are quite a few images and full-page colour plates of his most important works, large enough to study in detail. The cover and binding is high-quality, as are the pages (nice thick paper).Also recommended to accompany this book would be to read his auto-biography, Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood - Vols 1 and 2 (which are copy-right free and downloadable on the Internet.)

Beautiful book and nicely bound. More than just a coffee table book.