Eric Ravilious: Imagined Realities

A collection of illustrations showcasing many previously unpublished paintings of the artist Eric Ravilious. Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) is now firmly one of the most popular artists of his period. He was a painter of watercolours and murals, a book illustrator in wood engraving and lithography, and a designer of transfer-ware pottery. He applied a dry and precise style of working to imaginative and romantic subject matter from the world around him and from his imaginative transformations of the art and imagery of the past. From 1940, he was an Official War Artist, painting memorable pictures of ships, aircraft and coastal defences before his tragic death in a flying accident off Iceland. This book includes illustrations of many previously unpublished paintings, including a number from private collections, as well as surveying his other artistic activities. The text also draws on many letters and other documents, again previously unpublished, and is the most comprehensive account of Ravilious' career ever published. It positions the artist in relation to the English art of his time, and more recent critical and cultural issues. The book accompanied a centenary exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, London.