Philip Eliasoph

Colleen Browning was a realist painter, English but living in USA, who flourished, painting in the realist style from the 1950s until her death in 2003. Together with her husband, the prolific novelist and academic Dr Geoffrey Wagner, also originally English, she led a highly colourful life, full of exotic travel, with twin bases in New York and Grenada, and managed to execute a wealth of paintings which exude a dynamism and spirituality that lifts the spirit. Philip Eliasoph has here produced an epic, weighty volume which provides an understanding view of her work, profusely illustrated here and accompanied by a biography which brings her and her husband to life. The inclusion of Geoffrey Wagner in the biographical detail, though perhaps unusual, is absolutely necessary as a result of the two living together in an idyllic, reclusive relationship for 53 years. Perhaps the best illustration of their closeness is given by the fact they were betrothed a mere 72 hours after their first meeting, on a beach in Ischia. As it was an interest in Wagner which drew me to the book I freely accept my ignorance of art criticism, although I feel that my impression of the book as a whole, with its high readability and sensitive discussions suggests to me that Eliasoph is a major force in his field. This is a superb book in every way, and is worthy of the attention of any thinking individual with an appetite for fine things.… (más)