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Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 with an introduction by Pierre
Rosenberg Hardback, 304x220x50 mm, 3.1 kg, 758 pages, 5000 reproductions (2000 in colour) ISBN: 0 906290 86 4. ISBN-13: 978 0 906290 86 6. Published 30 April 2006 Price: £125/€185/$230 post-free to UK/European/US locations
Available worldwide directly from:
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Winner of the
Besterman/McColvin
medal for the outstanding reference book published in the UK in 2006.
Pastels are “luminous and
beautiful beyond all other pictures,” wrote the English eighteenth century
pastellist Francis Cotes, describing
the sensual appeal of this special dust rubbed into paper which has enchanted
connoisseurs ever since. But the history of pastels is one of compounded
mistakes and misattributions: these intimate portraits, whose subjects range
from dynasts to servants, have been neglected for the better researched areas
of old master drawings and oil painting.
This
Dictionary sets out to establish, for the first time, a convincing body of
knowledge to help identify and attribute works by both major artists and the
obscure petits-maîtres. It is an
essential ac
Pastels from
the French school account for more than half the Dictionary, representing most
of the more important artists such as Vivien, Nattier, La Tour, Perronneau,
Labille-Guiard and Vigée Le Brun. But there were other major pastellists, such as
Copley, Russell, Mengs, Carriera and Liotard from the American,
English, German, Italian and Swiss schools, as well as a host of minor
portraitists, many of whom travelled extensively. The extent of the mutual
influences between these schools can only be understood with the Dictionary’s
integrated global coverage.
The Dictionary includes:
- Records of some 20,000 pastels in
public collections or known from exhibition and auction catalogues, including
pastels by anonymous artists
- Entries on 1250 named artists
- Approximately 5000 reproductions, many
never before published, and references to all known reproductions of other
pastels
- A survey placing the major artists of
the various schools in an historical context and explaining the technical
features of pastel
- A list of exhibitions from 1704 to
2005, including livrets and
contemporary criticism for the major exhibitions in
- A topographical index locating pastels
in public collections worldwide
- An index of some 7000 sitters
- An extensive bibliography
“Perfection and utter comprehensiveness can never be fully realized, but Neil Jeffares has come about as close as humanly possible. His care and diligence shine through this work and do real honor to the artists he memorializes. Any research library should seriously consider acquiring this title; there is no other like it, nor is there likely to be for a very long time.” – Jeffrey Weidman, Art Libraries Journal (vol. 32/1, 2007)
“…essential for any scholar interested in pastel painting and ancien régime portraiture of the noble, ecclesiastical, political and cultural elites. It also makes a profoundly important contribution to the history of portraiture as a whole.” – Robert Oresko, The Art Newspaper (February 2007)
“…sure to become
a standard work.” – Antje Matthews, British Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies
(vol. 30/1, 2007)
“…will remain the only
undertaking of its kind for the foreseeable future….” – Rena Hoisington, The Burlington Magazine
(May 2007)
“No
one interested in the history of portraiture can afford not to have this
comprehensive and admirably indexed production.” – Francis Russell, Country
Life
“…the first truly international survey of the genre…exponentially increases the number of pastel images included in earlier publications…an encyclopedic treatment…. Jeffares has produced a beautiful and functional publication whose value will not diminish over time.” – Heidi Strobel, Eighteenth-Century Studies (vol. 40/2, 2007)
“This Dictionary...is a formidable achievement and constitutes a landmark in the subject. Such a publication was much needed and fortunately, in so far as the sustained and dedicated scholarship demonstrated by the author is matched by the highest standards of book production brought to the project by Unicorn Press, the result is a triumph in more ways than one.” – Christopher Lloyd, Historic House (Winter 2006)
« …un événement de toute première importance…. Il constitue une base documentaire irremplaçable. » – Lugar do Olhar Feliz
“…monumental,
beautifully produced and illustrated…an indispensable research tool, which will
revolutionize scholarship in the field.” – Robert Snell, Times Literary
Supplement
« Le dictionnaire des pastellistes est…une somme comme on en voit peu, un ouvrage absolument indispensable, pour les historiens d'art comme pour les marchands et les collectionneurs. Pour paraphraser Pierre Rosenberg, auteur de la préface, il faudra parler désormais du Jeffares, comme on dit le Thieme-Becker, le Bellier-Auvray ou le Lugt... » – Didier Rykner, La Tribune de l’Art (20 septembre 2006)
“…Neil Jeffares...tells
us where attributions may be doubted and sitters are uncertain, and we trust him.” – Norbert Lynton,
The Art Book (vol. 14/4, 2007)
The author maintains a current database of images and other information relating to pastels executed before 1800, and
will be pleased to receive details of any errors or omissions from the
Dictionary. All information received from private collectors will be treated in
confidence. Any images supplied may be used in future editions (whether in
print or electronic form) unless specifically restricted. To contact the author
please e-mail pastels@jeffares.demon.co.uk.
The online edition of the Dictionary is currently under development.
Please visit www.pastellists.com.
La Jeune Dame en robe bleue, the cover image, is a portrait of an unknown sitter by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (1749–1803), pastel on paper, 622x510 mm, signed and dated 1780 (private collection).
All material on this site is subject to the notice printed on page 4 of the Dictionary; in particular all rights are reserved and users should note that any attribution or other statement is a personal opinion only and no liability can be accepted.