We kick off with a look at New Excursions in English Poetry, a series of books illustrated by some of the outstanding artists of the 1940s, notably Craxton, Ayrton, Piper and Bawden. These Neo-romantic illustrators offer celebrations of Englishness when the nation was at war or recovering from it – and we also get an opportunity to see the same sort of work at the Fry Gallery. That romantic vibe is taken further in Katie Forrester’s lyrical and touching reflections on the mystical Severn as she contemplates our place in the natural landscape, but we have some strong contrasts too: Bach Singh presents his dynamic, experimental art as he responds to the urban cityscape, and Victor Ambrus, the Time Team illustrator, takes us into his vividly visualized past as he breathes new life into British history. Some exciting illustrators from previous centuries complete the picture as we investigate the satirical art of H. M. Bateman and Thomas Onwhyn – another of Dickens’s “unknown” illustrators. Helen Allingham’s social observations add another strand, and the French artist Raffett returns us to warfare in his penetrating images of Napoleon’s army. We also have the usual round of reviews, focusing on a number of outstanding new books which advance scholarship and revive the reputations of some rarely-remembered practitioners.
