Water colour /

This catalogue of a 2011 Tate Britain exhibition comprises 146 British watercolors, each illustrated in color. They range from an illuminated manuscript of ca. 1200 to abstract works of the early 21st century. Following an excellent introduction by editor Smith are a series of illustrated essays by various authors in catalogue sections titled "Intimate Knowledge," "The Natural World," "Travel and Topography," "The Exhibition Watercolour" (mainly large in size), "Watercolour and War," "Inner Vision," "Watercolour Today," and "Abstraction and Improvisation." Most of these are self-explanatory, except for "Intimate Knowledge," which consists of illuminated manuscripts, 17th-century landscapes by Van Dyck and Hollar, maps and plans, costume design, and miniatures. Besides the authoritative texts, another outstanding feature is the high quality of the great variety of illustrations. While many of the artists included are limited to a single work, numerous others, e.g., William Blake, Edward Burne-Jones, and Paul Nash, have two or more entries. Not surprisingly, J. M. W. Turner has even more. The earliest works are the least known--and the late-20th-century ones an anticlimax after the riches of the earlier work. Very good bibliography and index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. T. J. McCormick emeritus, Wheaton College (MA)