As a reference librarian in a general humanities service team, and one who deals with the majority of enquiries about artists, I approached this work with great interest. I often receive enquiries about obscure artists with small outputs, and not being an art historian myself, I welcome any reference work that may help in tracing information.
The compilers, led by art historian Christopher Wright, have brought considerable knowledge and experience to this work. They have spent many years visiting galleries, and in checking and editing the listings. The work contains a vast amount of new information, and a new approach to information about even the most well‐known artists and galleries. The inclusion of provincial galleries and local public institutions gives us impressions of local tastes and traditions.
The definition of “public” is wide‐ranging; it encompasses works held by public institutions but not necessarily, if ever, on display, and works held by institutions other than galleries, such as churches and town halls. The compilers have searched catalogues of long‐ago exhibitions which list works by unknown painters, and those which have subsequently been destroyed or sold off. All these are included in the listings. The content complements and adds to that of other reference works in this field – biographical dictionaries, catalogues of paintings and exhibitions, catalogues of portraits. Basic biographical information in the way of birth and death dates, or dates when active, is given, and where there is an entry for an artist in another work, this is indicated by an abbreviated reference in the text. A list of these frequently cited sources forms part of the Bibliography.
One of the outstanding features of this work is the lists of paintings where the artist is unknown. Following the convention of the Witt Library at the Courtauld Institute, they are listed as “British School”, then by century. The holdings of institutions listed under these headings include many items depicting subjects such as local views and portraits of dignitaries; these sections could be of use and interest to, among others, local historians or students of architecture or costume.
The compilers acknowledge the question of illustrations. There are no illustrations in the work, but where a painting is reproduced in a catalogue, this information is included. The Introduction mentions with regret that many large provincial galleries have no photographic record of their holdings.
The arrangement of the work is clear and helpful. The main lists are by name of artist (or “British School”), with an index of location cross‐references. The Bibliography consists of the frequently cited sources; a list of dictionaries and other reference materials; and a list of sources by location, including published guides, lists of holdings and exhibition catalogues. Finally, there is a list of institutions excluded because their holdings are outside the scope of the work. The main content is arranged in three columns to a page. The print size is fairly small, and the longer entries are closely printed, requiring some concentration in reading. The volume is substantial and well‐bound in hardback.
I would recommend this work as an essential addition to art history collections, especially those which also hold the standard works in the area. It would also be of interest in other subject areas, such as local history studies, architecture or costume.
