'Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers' - Charles W.Eliot
Artist: William Scott Authors: Sarah Whitfield & Lucy Inglis Publisher: Thames & Hudson Date: 2013 Condition: A used but very clean copy of this four-volume set, held in the original slipcase
A comprehensive catalogue of Scott’s oil paintings, with copious additional information on biography, exhibitions and publications, this is the ultimate reference work on this important post-war painter and an example of how a catalogue raisonne can offer a substantial overview of a career.
Presented chronologically, the Scott catalogue raisonne was, on publication, an exemplar of this kind of publication and remains the most useful tool for anyone seeking not only information on the artist and his paintings, but to give a clear picture of how his work developed over time. Certain themes, such as the table-top still life, appear throughout Scott's career, but they morph over time into a discernible trajectory traceable through these volumes.
For the professional, this publication is also invaluable in establishing exactly the scarcity of certain types of works; because Scott's work is often reproduced and institutions such as the RA and Tate have often used 'typical' Scott imagery on merchandise, there is a perception that some types of work are much more easily found than is actually the case. Thus, when a collector is searching for a work of type x, being able to see that there may be only y examples of which z are in museum collections, is in fact very helpful.
