London Sketchbook: A City Observed - Hardcover

Byfield, Graham; Binney, Marcus

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312308213 ISBN 13: 9780312308216

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2002

Synopsis

At once ancient and modern, Britain's cosmopolitan capital has no formal center; each of its areas boasts its own style and atmosphere. Central London's royal palaces and grand hotels vie for the onlooker's attention with its majestic parliament building. The financial district--the City--has witnessed a flowering of daring and innovative modern architecture, which now mingles with the somber Tower of London and the greatest works of Sir Christopher Wren. The village atmosphere of Hampstead and Islington contrast with the 19th-century residential areas and museum districts of London's west.

Watercolor painter Graham Byfeld set out to capture the essence of the city.His impressions are captured vividly in the London Sketchbook, and accompanied by writer Marcus Binney's engaging prose exploration of London's history, people, and architecture.

About this title

About the Author:

Graham Byfield is a full-time artist with his own gallery in Menorca, Spain.

Marcus Binney is the founder and president of Save Britain's Heritage and the architectural correspondent at The Times; he received the OBE in 1983 and the London Conservation Medal in 1985.

From Publishers Weekly:

"London may have lost its position as the world's most populous city," writes Binney, "but today it can lay a new claim, to be as diverse and cosmopolitan as any city on earth, perhaps more so." So begins this pretty book of watercolors that will enchant Anglophiles and initiate those unfamiliar with the city's charms. Along with renditions of the major buildings, Byfield (Singapore Sketchbook) recreates less famous structures-power stations, pubs, warehouses and even escalators in underground stations-to give a sense of London's varied faces. Detailed depictions of elements such as doorways, signs, tile work and rooflines shed light on many subtler design influences in the city's architecture. Binney, who founded the organization Save Britain's Heritage, provides a pithy overview of the entire city and of its various neighborhoods; additionally, his notes, penciled alongside each illustration, offer specific information on the structure or element. The volume is large and elegant, and the carefully chosen views and detailed notes give it the feel of a collected set of painted postcards.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0312308213
• ISBN 13: 9780312308216
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 96