Xavier Bray

A detailed study of Sir Winston Churchill's paintings, presenting a fascinating backdrop to the complex and poignant times he lived in. Universally renowned as an inspirational statesman, writer and orator who led Britain to victory in World War II, Winston Churchill (1874–1965) is less often remembered as an enthusiastic amateur painter. Despite starting late at the age of forty, painting became a passion that would endure for the rest of his life. Published to coincide with the Wallace Collection’s exhibition of the same name, Winston Churchill: The Painter explores Churchill’s activity as an artist from his first attempts during World War I through to the 1960s, shortly before his death. A careful selection of over fifty paintings from museums, institutions and private collections presents a fascinating backdrop to his times, politics, diplomacy and interests. With essays by Allen Packwood, Katherine Carter, Barry Phipps, Paul Rafferty, Andrew Roberts and Alison Smith, the book also includes a small group of works by Churchill’s artistic mentors and friends, such as Sir John Lavery (1856–1941) and Sir William Nicholson (1872–1949), which help explore his artistic development. Churchill’s paintings are ultimately representations of places he loved to visit and depict, but they are just as much autobiographical and provide an insight not often appreciated by the public into his private life. Winston Churchill: The Painter invites readers to reconsider Churchill through the lens of his art.

This is a wonderful overview of the remarkable range of dog portraits--there are no human sitters--produced over the last 250 years. It features well-known works such as Rosa Bonheur's Brizo, (one of the best-loved portraits in The Wallace Collection), George Stubbs' Turk, Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of his two dogs Tristram and Fox, Lucian Freud's oil painting of Pluto, his pet whippet, and David Hockney's dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie. Over 50 works, arranged by theme, are drawn from major British collections, including the Royal Collection, the V & A, Tate Britain, the British Museum, and a wealth of regional museums and private collections. In addition memorabilia and souvenirs-bronzes, photos, brooches, and Faberge works, many relating to the British royals, especially Queen Victoria and her children- all evoke the sense of a cabinet of curiosities. This is a must-have for dog lovers.

Pedro de Mena y Medrano (1628-1688) is the most highly regarded master of Spanish Baroque sculpture, on a par with his contemporaries, the great seventeenth-century painters Velázquez, Zurbarán and Murillo. Mena's contributions to Spanish Baroque sculpture are unsurpassed in both technical skill and expressiveness of his religious subjects. His ability to sculpt the human body was remarkable, and he excelled in creating figures and scenes for contemplation. This first monograph of Pedro de Mena shows incredible details and remarkable images of his hyper-realistic sculptures, full of passion. In addition to text by curator Xavier Bray, Pedro de Mena also features important contributions by José Luis Romeo Torres, curator of the exhibition Pedro de Mena, to be held in Málaga in 2019.

Explores the representation of highly realistic and violent subjects in the paintings, prints and drawings of Jusepe de Ribera (1591?1652). The Spanish Baroque artist and printmaker, Jusepe de Ribera (1591?1652), has long been celebrated for his depictions of human suffering - faces contorted in pain, mutilated bodies, sagging flesh, and deformed bodies. This new volume explores, for the first time, the theme of violence in Ribera's work to demonstrate how his images are neither the product of his supposed sadism nor the expression of a purely aesthetic interest, but rather involve a complex artistic, religious and cultural engagement in the depiction of bodily suffering, challenging visitors to look beyond the shocking imagery. Born in Jativa, Valencia, Ribera spent most of his career in Naples, southern Italy, where he influenced many Neapolitan masters including Salvator Rosa and Luca Giordano. He is often regarded as the heir to Caravaggio for his dramatic use of light and shadow, and his practice of painting directly from the live model. His prints and paintings alike had an enormous impact on the development of Baroque art all over Europe. AUTHORS: Edward Payne is senior curator of Spanish Art, Auckland Castle, UK. Dr Xavier Bray is the director of the Wallace Collection, London. SELLING POINTS: . Reveals the visual impact, sheer variety, and scope of Ribera's work, and its enormous importance on the future of European art. . Introduces the reader to some of his most captivating works, addressing an aspect of Ribera's artistic production for which he has been celebrated since the seventeenth century. . Demonstrates how Ribera's images of violence are multi-layered in their interpretations, and complex in their emphasis on the overlapping experiences of the victim, the executioner and the spectator. 86 colour images