Landscape Paintings of New Zealand named in the Times Literary Supplement’s books of the year list.

28 November 2013

Christopher Johnstone’s Landscape Paintings of New Zealand: A Journey From North to South has been named as one of the Times Literary Supplement’s books of the year.

“Random House New Zealand couldn’t be more thrilled,” says its Publishing Director Nicola Legat. “As far as I am aware this is a first for a New Zealand illustrated book. Not only is it a great accolade for a very fine book, but it’s also tribute to this country’s art history.”

TLS reviewer A D Harvey said ‘(the book) shows how the most exciting countryside in the English-speaking world has inspired painters during the past 244 years. The beautiful reproductions in this book suggest that, even before Cézanne, artists in New Zealand explored the formal, even abstract qualities of landscape while not losing sight of the subjective emotional appeal of representations of nature. This volume provides us, not only with visual delight, but with yet another reason to move on from conventional narratives of the history of landscape painting that are dominated by the French Impressionists.’

Landscape Paintings of New Zealand was first published by Godwit in 2006 to much acclaim. A revised edition with 34 additional works was released in October this year.

For more about Landscape Paintings of New Zealand see here: http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/books/christopher-johnstone/landscape-paintings-of-new-zealand-enlarged-and-revised-edition-9781775530114.aspx

For more on the books of the year see here: http://www.the-tls.co.uk/tls/public/article1345460.ece