The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations

by Emily Zach, Steven Heller (Foreword), Eleanor Taylor (Afterword)

Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth, this magnificent collection celebrates the artist behind The Tale of Peter Rabbit and numerous other beloved children's books. Brimming with famous images and rarely seen gems—ranging from character sketches and notebook pages to watercolor landscapes and natural history illustrations—this monograph explores Potter's artistic process and reveals the places that inspired her timeless work. Organized geographically and featuring more than 200 images from the artist's oeuvre, The Art of Beatrix Potter includes illuminating essays by Potter scholar Linda Lear, illustration historian Steven Heller, and children's book illustrator Eleanor Taylor. It is the definitive volume on one of the world's most influential authors, a woman whose artistry, until now, has not been fully celebrated.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Animals, History, Nature, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

Published November 22, 2016

About the author

Author and art lover living in Seattle with a creative director and a corgi. Visit my other Goodreads profile, Emily Freidenrich, for updates on my new book, ALMOST LOST ARTS.

Reviews

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

While on holiday this summer I was lucky to buy this book secondhand. I have a weak spot for books about illustrators- always like to have a look at the person behind the illustrations they are famous for and look at their other artwork.
This book about the art of Beatrix Potter is just beautiful and shows a good variety of her artwork, techniques and her love for nature. All is completed with a story and pictures of Beatrix Potter's personal life. For me the book had been perfect if the writer would have put in more of Beatrix Potter's own words as she has written many letters and diaries.

For those on Goodreads who like to have a look inside the book I pictured a few pages to give an impression:

Just imagine that she made this drawing when she was only 12 years old, I love the trees!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully designed book of beautiful illustrations and photographs. Organized by geographic location, TAOBP gives the reader an overview of her life and an in-depth look at her art and the places that inspired her. This was a lovely compliment to my recent mini obsession with Beatrix Potter.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very interesting book

[Vanya Prodanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сдобих се с тази книга на изложбата, посветена на Beatrix Potter. Четейки я, определено се завърнах обратно в Лондон и си припомних отделни моменти от посещението ми там и изложбата. Много е приятно да четеш книга, която може да свържеш с преживяване на живо.

Това настрана, самата книга е много красиво и луксозно издание. Научих доста нови неща за Beatrix Potter. И надградих над това, което видях и научих на изложбата. Пълна е с красиви илюстрации и странични снимки, които още повече да те потопят в нейния свят.

Недостатъкът на книгата е, че е разделен на локации, а не хронологично и това доста обърква на моменти. Разбирам от къде е дошла идеята за това, но ако беше хронологична и с още повече илюстрации или поне да бяха подредили главите не по места, а по теми, които е рисувала, щеше да бъде по-добро преживяване за читателите, тъй като човек чете такива книги за илюстрациите и да види зад кулисите на живота на художника.

Не е лоша книга, но можеше да бъде невероятно бижу, ако фокусът беше наистина върху изкуството, не върху местата, които е посещавала и са повлияли на илюстрациите. :)

[Amie Gentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Beatrix Potter’s story and her art, it was so cool to learn more about her. I felt so inspired with my own painting after reading this book!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because, like Potter, I too am a child who never grew up, I've loved what she called her "little books" for decades. It wasn't, however, until we visited Hill Top Farm and the Armitt Library and Museum in the beautiful Lake District that I truly appreciated what a fine artist she truly was. Her landscapes and botanical paintings are gorgeous. Potter was also a feminist, a scientist, a conservationist, and an award-winning sheep breeder. She gave thousands of acres to the National Trust, ensuring that future generations could enjoy the place she loved most. There's just enough information in this delightful book to get a sense of who she was. I also enjoyed learning more about her artistic process. She had such a wonderful imagination and a great sense of humor that she combined expertly with her immense talent.

[Heather Alderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a very pleasant surprise. I picked up this book only because it was by an author with a 'Z' last name (book challenge!), not because I loved Peter Rabbit or Beatrix Potter. But this was a really great book, Beatrix's artwork is really beautiful! I loved how the book was set up by the places Potter lived or visited in her life and how that reflected on her artwork and then her books. Potter's beautiful drawings and paintings reflect her love of nature and her life in England.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)

I really loved looking through this book for the images alone. We see more of Potter's drawings/paintings than what she is predominantly known for, Peter Rabbit series.

[Rachael Marsceau · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely! I am very quickly becoming lovingly obsessed with everything Beatrix Potter. This book was exactly what I wanted. Perfect balance of art, description, and biography.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book full of sketches, paintings, and illustrations! Information about the life of Beatrix Potter is included as well as the background of all the books she wrote. Photographs are displayed throughout the book of Beatrix and her loved ones(including four legged ones) and places she lived.

[A.K. Frailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book that displays the wonderful range of Beatrix's magical painting and drawing skills. She was more than just a children's book author—she was a scientist and observer of nature who portrayed what she discovered—even in mushrooms!—a detailed universe of small miracles. A great gift to Beatrix Potter fans and also authors and artists of all types.

[Melissa Shreve · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Beatrix Potter....you will love her sketches

[Bonnie Lambourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking to know more about Beatrix Potter the artist, this large and heavy book focuses on her art, when and where it was created, and places inspired. It is not a collection of her children's book illustrations. It takes a more constructive viewpoint, to discover how she developed as an artist.

It includes some photos of her, but mostly her studies of animals, trees, plants, fungi and information about how and why she drew these. She had a deep interesting visually recording and studying nature. At times these influenced her book writings and illustrations for children in picture books and middle grade novels. Thoughtful selections show related artwork - for example studies of a tree then used in a book illustration side by side with interesting and well written information about each; rabbits drawn from life in many positions then in fanciful ones dressed up in a story.

There is also perspective on her style changes over time, influences of locations and other artists.

While this is adult geared, the artist child, one who is curious about art, nature, or the life of this artist might love looking deeply at these images, and certainly the older one could easily read the writing. It is simply not as easy to pick up, carry and read in a comfortable manner. It is simply so large in format that it is rather likely to be a coffee table book for many.

I will admit that I did not read every word of this book myself, but skimmed and read about many interesting things that intrigued me. But that's on me and my time. It deserves a 5 because it is a well thought out, written, and organized book about an important artist that is different from any of the others I've recently read.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Rabbit was the first book I read as a child, and I have always had a special place in my heart for the Beatrix Potter books. So when I saw this at the museum gift shop, I just had to have it. With her paintings reproduced in color on heavy stock, the book details her inspiration for the stories she wrote, including her carefully rendered authentic backgrounds - landscapes, room interiors, furniture, etc. Often the photos are printed next to her paintings to show her interpretation.

Even though it was very similar to a biography, the over-sized 240-page book ends suddenly in 1911 although she lived on until 1943. Skimming through Wikipedia I see that she continued to write as she grew older, so it would have been nice for a conclusion ending when she died, or at least a summary of the rest of her life.

A great complement to this book is the 2006 movie "Miss Potter" starring Renee Zellweger.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feast of a coffee table book, but with enough accompanying text to give a comprehensive account of this Victorian/Edwardian talent. We were all brought up on Potter's exquisitely illustrated timeless tales, and now my grandchildren are enjoying Peter Rabbit, Mrs Tiggy Winkle, Jemima and Potter's 'universe of small things' more than I ever did.
Having dabbled in botanical art myself, I found Potter's mycological studies most interesting. Her pen-&-ink and watercolour paintings of landscapes and village scenes were new to me. She was a gifted natural scientist and sensitive artist, mostly (or completely?) self-taught. What a legacy she left, including her bequest of land to England. May she always be celebrated in beautiful books like this one. Happy 150th birthday, Beatrix!

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a charming book about an author that I've always wanted to know more about, but somehow never got around to it. The compilation of her unreleased sketches, drawings, and illustrations tells the story of her life. Raised in isolation in London, Potter frequently traveled to the English coast and countryside, where she roamed freely in nature, allowing for close observation of the movements and mannerisms of the woodland creatures who would inspire her books. She even briefly dabbled in the art of mycology (a mushroom head!). Anyway, definitely worth reading if you're at all interested in learning about the places and people that inspired Potter's books.

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Potter's illustrations, but the information was a bit dull a lot of the time, mainly because it mostly consisted in pinpointing geographical locations that inspired her work on different holidays and in different chapters of her life, which is not particularity interesting for me personally. I am sure if I were a native of the land it would be more fun to find out specific inspirations for different stories. Some stuff was interesting though and I am glad I have a general outline of her life's journey.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember being in first grade and so enchanted by the small, thin Beatrix Potter books lined up neatly on the library shelf. This book achieves what it set out to do: display a collection of Potter’s art while providing context. I thought I might just skim this at first, but I was immediately drawn into to story of Potter’s life when I saw the photo of her at nine years old, already a skilled artist. This made me not only more interested to learn about Potter but other artists as well.

[Cindy Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been working my way through this one slowly so that I could savor the illustrations and anecdotes. I’m impressed by how closely Potter studied her subjects - she even became a naturalist and published papers on subjects such as fungi. This book explored the places which inspired many of her beloved illustrations- it is always nice to see the real places depicted in stories. If you are a fan of Potter’s work, then this definitely a book for you.

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of Potter images. Especially interesting, for me, anyway, are the precise and detailed scientific drawings she did early on, when she still was hoping for a career in science. These make clear, if it wasn't evident already, just what a fine artist Potter was. The books are well-represented, not only with art from them but also from the letter versions and drafts, as well as sketches and studies produced during the planning phase. Essential for Potter fans.

[Pj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful peak into an illustrator's world! I didn't realize her work beyond the Peter Rabbit Tale books! She was into mycology-her studies with a microscope and detailed illustrating was impressive. This biography showed all her intricate watercolor drawings of fungi, gardens, and animals with descriptions fitting into her life's timeline. Definitely an interesting read.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully produced book: a visual treat, coffee table worthy. It can be picked up and enjoyed from time to time, after the initial perusal. The text compliments the art work, which is organized by periods of Potter's life.

[Leorah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much more to Beatrix Potter than I ever knew about. I love this book. A special gift from my husband who knows how I adore Potter's works. This is a beautiful book that I will keep on my coffee table for years to come

[Carrisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is divided into sections; Becoming Beatrix Potter; London and the South Coast, Scotland, The Lake District, and Wales and Beyond.

Beautiful illustrations which are accompanied by little notes about each one.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of Beatrix Potter's art, with a tenderness toward her life story and work. There are many photographs of her and places where she lived or visited. I learned a lot about her interest in mycology and her artistic legacy.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous reproductions of Potter's art from her early sketches to her later watercolors. What a talented artist! Introduction is thorough and recounts highlights from Potter's life. Excellent resource for fans of Beatrix Potter who are interested in her art beyond her "little books."

[Pam Lindholm-levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully done. As a lifelong Potter fan, I loved this book. Potter's work and the learning the origins of each painting or drawing make the reader love her even more and mentally thank the book editor for her choice of pieces to include.

[Carrie Cantalupo-Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book. Great pictures and history/biography. Thee only stumble for me was the time table jumps all over the place and it’s hard to keep track of what she did when with no chronological order. And it ends abruptly. No real conclusion to her life or work.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational! Seeing the places, learning the history of Ms potter, you understand how her heritage transformed into meaningful life work. And how she practiced, lived and breathed nature to create watercolors and stories.

[Ross Mountney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational to see the naturalist illustrator side of her artwork