Charles Keene: The Artists' Artist. ...

This is a rare or used book from the Berkelouw Rare Books Department.

London: Published for the Author by P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. 1934. Large quarto bound in original cream-coloured quarter cloth over pale blue boards (corners bumped). Top edge gilt and other edges uncut. (viii 16pp. text). With portrait and 55 full-page collotype plates with captioned tissue-guards. Edition limited to 130 copies on hand-made paper of which this is No. 36 fully signed "Lionel Lindsay". A fine crisp copy. London-born illustrator Charles Keene (1823-1891) completed his apprenticeship with Whympers wood-engravers. He contributed his first sketch to the humorous weekly Punch in 1851. In 1864 Keene was promoted to chief social cartoonist. From that time on Keene worked almost exclusively for Punch contributing his final drawing in 1890. Among Keene's artistic influences were the German artist Adolph von Menzel as well as the Pre-Raphaelite illustrators (Oxford DNB 2004). Having admired Keene's work from a young age the prominent Australian artist and art critic Lionel Lindsay who refers to Keene as "the greatest of English draughtsmen" (p. 13) herewith presents a survey of Keene's art comprising "examples carefully selected to cover all phases of his work." (Preface)