The Painting of Stephen Cook

Enhanced Naturalism in a Post-War British Figurative Tradition

By: Stephen Miller

From £32.99

The first critical study of artist Stephen Cook, this monograph situates his work within post-war British figurative art. Featuring over 50 colour plates, most previously unpublished, it reveals an art of rigorous observation that uncovers a reality beyond the everyday.

This beautifully illustrated monograph, including more than 50 colour plates of the artist’s work—most of which appear here for the first time—is the first critical…

This beautifully illustrated monograph, including more than 50 colour plates of the artist’s work—most of which appear here for the first time—is the first critical study of the work of the artist Stephen Cook (born 1952), and will serve as both an introduction to, and analysis of, his output in the context of a tradition of figurative art in post-war Britain.
The scrutiny of the subjects of these paintings point to a representation of a reality outside of the flux of things and of our everyday experience, albeit one that is derived from the immediately recognisable natural world. This is achieved not only through a method of close observation, but through the rigour of the application of that observation.

Stephen Miller is a visual arts author and scholar. He received his Master’s degree from King’s College London, in association with the National Gallery, London. He has contributed to a number of academic journals, exploring the subjects of fine art and theology, and is the author of three previous monographs on aspects of the visual arts.

Hardback

ISBN: 1-5275-1882-5
ISBN13: 978-1-5275-1882-7
Date of Publication: 2023-07-24

Paperback

ISBN: 1-0364-0607-5
ISBN13: 978-1-0364-0607-3
Date of Publication: 2024-05-09

Ebook

ISBN: 1-5275-1883-3
ISBN13: 978-1-5275-1883-4
Date of Publication: 2024-05-09

Category: Social Sciences, Visual Arts, Visual Arts

Pages: 170

Subject Codes:

BIC: AC, AFC, ABA
THEMA: AGA, AFC, ABA

Pages: 170

“Stephen Miller has done us a service with this scholarly introduction to the remarkable artwork of Stephen Cook. The colour prints are stunning and Miller’s text is enlightening. He provides us with all the information we need to appreciate Cook’s oeuvre: his technique, his creative forebearers, and his epiphanic renderings of nature that seem to transfigure the subjects he paints so luminously.”
- Addison Hodges Hart Author of The Voyage of Life: The Sacred Vision of Thomas Cole
“Many of the epic histories of artistic Modernism have trouble accounting for the eccentricities and beauties of a British tradition of painting which does not abandon the figurative, and which celebrates the luminosity of landscapes and the contours of creatures. This book’s treatment of Stephen Cook can be read as a part of that important counter-history.”
- Ben Quash Director of Arts & the Sacred at King’s (ASK). Author of Found Theology and contributing writer to Anna Freeman Bentley: Mobility and Grandeur
“Stephen Miller has a gift for traversing periods and genres in British art and he proves the perfect writer to bring Stephen Cook’s paintings to wider attention and place them in historical and cultural context. These paintings of nature are exquisite and shine with a morning light akin to the first hours of Creation.”
- Aaron Rosen Director Luce Center for the Arts, Washington D.C. Visiting Professor, Sacred Traditions & the Arts, King’s College London and author of Art & Religion in the 21st Century

Meet The Author

Stephen Miller

The Legend, Lore and Spirit of the Water Horse

From Ancient Myth to Celtic Folklore

By: Stephen Miller

£64.99

This book explores the legends of the water horse in mythology, folklore, and art. It delves into the romance and mystery of water as a sacred, cleansing element and also as an untamed, disruptive force. How are these manifestations linked to the human psyche?

The Green Man in Medieval England

Christian Shoots from Pagan Roots

By: Stephen Miller

£67.99

Long thought to be a mysterious pagan symbol, this book reveals the Green Man’s true Christian meaning in medieval England. Drawing on examples from churches and forgotten legends, it uncovers a significance well understood by medieval folk but lost to us today.

The Notes and Queries Folklore Column, 1849-1947

Subject Indexes

By: Stephen Miller

From £29.99

For the first time, a consolidated index to England’s folklore heritage from the periodical Notes and Queries (1849-1947). This book provides ready access to a neglected corpus of material, with over 12,000 references to folklore, proverbs, nursery rhymes, songs, and dialects.

The Book of Angels

Seen and Unseen

By: Stephen Miller

From £30.99

Explore our deep fascination with angels. This illustrated book examines their depiction in art, scripture, and mystical writings across world religions. Discover the visual clues, artistic conventions, and celestial hierarchies that define these vibrant and energised beings.

The Word made Visible in the Painted Image

Perspective, Proportion, Witness and Threshold in Italian Renaissance Painting

By: Stephen Miller

£41.99

This monograph explores the areas of perspective, proportion, witness and theological threshold in the devotional art of the Italian Renaissance, with particular reference to the painted image of Christ.

The Painting of Stephen Cook

Hardback

Paperback

Ebook

Subject Codes:

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Meet The Author