Francis Hayman /

In this attractive book Allen discerningly measures the significance of the ``Friend of Hogarth and Garrick, and teacher of Gainsborough.'' Drawing upon his 1984 PhD dissertation, ``Francis Hayman and the English Rococo'' Allen (Mellon Centre for British Art) intelligently combines a comprehensive biography with a detailed catalog and checklist of the artist's work. The text illuminates Hayman's career, underlining his part in the establishment of professional institutions, and discusses his contribution to stage and decorative art, portraiture, and history painting. Supported by thorough notes and extensive illustrations, the chapters enlarge reader understanding of contemporary patronage, the emergence of history painting, and the evolution of the conversation piece in England. It supersedes previous studies, including L. Gowing's pioneering article ``Hogarth, Hayman and the Vauxhall Decorations,'' Burlington Magazine XCV (1953) and a 1960 exhibition catalog Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Francis Hayman. Standard for the professional and graduate student, the book will also be enjoyed by readers with a more general interest in the period.-R.W. Liscombe, University of British Columbia