Catching the Light: Henry Scott Tuke: The Art and Life of Henry Scott Tuke

by Catherine Wallace

Hardcover, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

709

Publication

Fine Art Society (Acc) (2008), Edition: 1st, 160 pages

Description

Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929) is remembered today as a master painter of the human figure, exemplified both by his early narrative paintings and by his portrayal of the male nude. In his out-of-doors 'studio' on secluded Newporth beach near Falmouth he ca

User reviews

LibraryThing member presto
Catching the Light traces the Henry Scott Tuke’s family background and follows chronologically, over the course of sixteen chapters, his career alongside his work. Among other things Wallace attempts to explain Tuke’s interest in his chosen subject matter, stripped of partially stripped boys on
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boat or beach, suggesting it is a natural extension of his life classes as s student at The Slade. Wallace also tries to put this in its Victorian context and the then prevalent attitude of relative acceptance towards such subject matter, so dispelling any thought of Tuke’s having any deviant proclivities. The text is interesting and illuminating, and it along with the reproductions of his work shows there is much more to Tuke than boys on the beach.

Wallace acknowledges David Wainwright’s earlier study, Henry Scott Tuke 1858- 1929 Under Canvas, and sheds further light on some points raised there, even suggesting alternative views. However I did not find the text here as engaging as Wainwright’s. I also puzzled over the apparent contradiction regards one of Tuke’s models, on page 42 Wallace says of Tuke’s friend and frequent model Jack Rowlings that he posed “always clothed”, yet page 53 carries an illustration of Tuke’ s Perseus and Andromeda, with Rowlings as the model for Perseus with nothing but a wind blown cloth to cover his modesty.

There are nearly 150 illustrations, all in full colour apart from a few period photographs, many of the images are full or half-page. What is without question is the beauty of the paintings, covering the full range of Tuke’s output from very his early works, the formal portraits, his interest in ships and the coast, and paintings from his travels in Italy and the West Indies in addition the beautifully rendered fair skinned boys. The colour reproduction here is richer and altogether more vibrant than in Wainwright’s; they are quite simply stunning, the subtly of the flesh tones and the sense of light fully justifying the books title: Catching the Light.
Show Less
LibraryThing member presto
Catching the Light traces the Henry Scott Tuke’s family background and follows chronologically, over the course of sixteen chapters, his career alongside his work. Among other things Wallace attempts to explain Tuke’s interest in his chosen subject matter, stripped of partially stripped boys on
Show More
boat or beach, suggesting it is a natural extension of his life classes as s student at The Slade. Wallace also tries to put this in its Victorian context and the then prevalent attitude of relative acceptance towards such subject matter, so dispelling any thought of Tuke’s having any deviant proclivities. The text is interesting and illuminating, and it along with the reproductions of his work shows there is much more to Tuke than boys on the beach.

Wallace acknowledges David Wainwright’s earlier study, Henry Scott Tuke 1858- 1929 Under Canvas, and sheds further light on some points raised there, even suggesting alternative views. However I did not find the text here as engaging as Wainwright’s. I also puzzled over the apparent contradiction regards one of Tuke’s models, on page 42 Wallace says of Tuke’s friend and frequent model Jack Rowlings that he posed “always clothed”, yet page 53 carries an illustration of Tuke’ s Perseus and Andromeda, with Rowlings as the model for Perseus with nothing but a wind blown cloth to cover his modesty.

There are nearly 150 illustrations, all in full colour apart from a few period photographs, many of the images are full or half-page. What is without question is the beauty of the paintings, covering the full range of Tuke’s output from very his early works, the formal portraits, his interest in ships and the coast, and paintings from his travels in Italy and the West Indies in addition the beautifully rendered fair skinned boys. The colour reproduction here is richer and altogether more vibrant than in Wainwright’s; they are quite simply stunning, the subtly of the flesh tones and the sense of light fully justifying the books title: Catching the Light.
Show Less

Language

Original language

English

Physical description

160 p.; 10.86 inches

ISBN

1873830203 / 9781873830208
Page: 0.2792 seconds