Herbert Draper - A Life Study (Hardcover)

Herbert James Draper (1864-1920) was one of the most successful painters of classical mythologies and elegant portraits, in the period between the turn of the 20th century and the advent of World War I. His pictures are the archetypes of the Victorian classical revival; dramatic and sensually charged sujects of beautiful maidens and dynamic heroes, very similar in style and subject matter to J.W. Waterhouse. Born in London, Draper studied at the St John's Wood School of art and in 1884 gained admission to the RA Schools. In 1889 he won a Royal Academy scholarship, and travelled extensively around Europe. When he returned to England he established a studio in Kensington. He exhibited at the RA every year from 1887 until shortly after his death in 1920. Neglected for well over half a century, Draper's work has finally been reassessed. He is now regarded as one of the last great painters of classical narratives in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain. "Herbert Draper: A Life Study" is a complete study of Draper's art and life, largely based on previously unstudied material in private archives. Many of the pictures reproduced in this book for the first time are in private collections and have not been exhibited since Draper's death. This book traces the steps of one of the last pilgrims of classicism. A catalogue raisonne of all Draper's paintings, drawings, book illustrations and decorative works is also included.