Originally the catalogue to the 1988 exhibition Hard Times, this is not
an easy book to read through at a sitting: the sufferings of the Victorian poor
become harrowing after a while. And one cannot help noticing that, while the
artists mostly get richer, their sitters are apparently carefully returned to
their picturesque poverty.
However, this is an invaluable guide to the 'social realist' strain in Victorian
painting. The four chapters covering the start of Graphic, and the careers of Fildes, Holl and Herkomer that were linked to it make a
particularly coherent story. But not all of the book is by the same author and
some chapters, especially later in the book, seem less relevant and rather
academic.
There are eight nice colour plates (although more might have been fitted in);
the remainder of the illustrations are in black and white and, although a
generous size, lack contrast.
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