The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations was written by Emily Zach, and published by Chronicle Books (San Francisco, 2016). Linda Lear, who wrote Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, wrote the forward. I was thrilled to receive this book as a Christmas gift from my son and daughter-in-law, and finally found time to read it this spring.
The book provides a brief biography of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), including her formative years in London in a comfortable, upper-middle class family. The rest of the book is organized by place, including London, the South Coast, Scotland, the Lake District, and Wales. The Potter family vacationed in most of the places, or visited friends and family, recovered health, or escaped the summer heat of London. They stayed for long stretches of time (often months), so Potter had time to explore each location, observe nature in various seasons, and forge friendships. For each location, Zach shows how it influenced Potter's art and storytelling. Zach includes many sketches, images, photographs, and letters throughout the book.
This is a beautiful and well-written book. While reading I looked up most of the place names on the Internet to learn more about them (you could create a fantastic trip itinerary of Great Britain using even a handful of these places). Surprisingly, many of the estates and homes the Potter family rented are still available as hotels and inns. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Beatrix Potter, art, botany, or travel.
The book provides a brief biography of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), including her formative years in London in a comfortable, upper-middle class family. The rest of the book is organized by place, including London, the South Coast, Scotland, the Lake District, and Wales. The Potter family vacationed in most of the places, or visited friends and family, recovered health, or escaped the summer heat of London. They stayed for long stretches of time (often months), so Potter had time to explore each location, observe nature in various seasons, and forge friendships. For each location, Zach shows how it influenced Potter's art and storytelling. Zach includes many sketches, images, photographs, and letters throughout the book.
This is a beautiful and well-written book. While reading I looked up most of the place names on the Internet to learn more about them (you could create a fantastic trip itinerary of Great Britain using even a handful of these places). Surprisingly, many of the estates and homes the Potter family rented are still available as hotels and inns. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Beatrix Potter, art, botany, or travel.
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