Overview

In Search of a Masterpiece is a personal selection of paintings that Christopher Lloyd has come across and enjoyed in public collections during the course of his career, and its purpose is to encourage others to visit galleries and museums and enjoy the same and further pleasures. The search begins in London, but very much lies further afield, including some surprises and many pictures of marvellous quality: a learned and enthusiastic guide, Christopher Lloyd leads us through the regions of England and on to Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Throughout, short outlines are given of the history of the museums and galleries from which the selection is made. In the course of the journey he introduces 266 paintings by a host of artists from different centuries and countries, from c.1300 to the present day. Some of the works are world-famous, while others are exciting discoveries that a visitor might well miss. Each entry includes an account of the artist. In Search of a Masterpiece can be enjoyed at home or in a museum, in the company of the chosen pictures. Throughout, Christopher Lloyd's intention is to share the thrill of expectation and sheer visual pleasure that he experiences whenever he walks into a gallery full of pictures.

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Reviews

'Exactly the companion you would wish to take with you on a museum crawl: knowledgeable, urbane and discreetly impatient with dense art-historical lingo' - Kathryn Hughes, Guardian 'An inspiring selection ... Beautifully crafted, unobtrusively erudite, generously detailed without ever losing sight of the picture itself, these essays are models of art-historical writing and a sustained pleasure to read' - The Art Newspaper 'His comments are dry and pithy, his one-liners are sharp ... this is an achievement few could match ... Dr Lloyd's selections will delight, and will send the reader back, refreshed, to our great national and regional collections' - Country Life 'This valuable guide could end up paying for itself, as you discover essential works in almost every major town or city' - Artists & Illustrators 'A tremendously good idea, very well done ... a masterpiece of concision' - Times Literary Supplement 'Enthusiasm, charm, wit, elegant style and an unerring eye ... 'In Search of a Masterpiece' is, itself, a very quiet, very British masterpiece' - Judith Flanders, Daily Telegraph

Author Information

Christopher Lloyd is President of NADFAS, Trustee of the Art Fund, and Governor of Gainsborough's House at Sudbury. His publications include monographs on painters, particularly Camille Pissarro, official catalogues of museum collections, and general surveys of the British Royal Collection. In addition, he has organized and curated numerous exhibitions and made a six-part television series on the paintings in the Royal Collection for British television (1992) - the first documentary to have been made in high definition.

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