Peter Rabbit was the first book I read as a child, and I have always had a special place in my heart for the Beatrix Potter books. So when I saw this at the museum gift shop, I just had to have it. With her paintings reproduced in color on heavy stock, the book details her inspiration for the stories she wrote, including her carefully rendered authentic backgrounds - landscapes, room interiors, furniture, etc. Often the photos are printed next to her paintings to show her interpretation.

Even though it was very similar to a biography, the over-sized 240-page book ends suddenly in 1911 although she lived on until 1943. Skimming through Wikipedia I see that she continued to write as she grew older, so it would have been nice for a conclusion ending when she died, or at least a summary of the rest of her life.

A great complement to this book is the 2006 movie "Miss Potter" starring Renee Zellweger. ( )

Beautiful large format book, interestingly arranged. ( )

I have been delighted by many of the art books that Chronicle has published, and The Art of Beatrix Potter is no exception. The pages are heavy and only slightly glossy with rich and detailed full-color printing, making for a wonderful experience simply flipping through the pictures. The cover is also full-color with photographs and examples of the artist's work. It's honestly just a really lovely book.

What really makes me cherish it and very seriously considering buying copies for friends and family (I've already convinced a few to buy it on their own!) is the care given to the organization of the artwork and the accompanying text by Emily Zach.

Having worked in an art museum with access to quite a lot of exhibition catalogues and other art books, I find the different ways curators choose to organize the artwork on the page to be somewhat interesting or revealing. Viewing the art strictly chronologically, one artwork per page, is a very different experience than a book arranged by color, theme, or medium, or one with artwork in many different configurations. The different styles also invite the reader to focus on different aspects of the art, of course.

Zach has grouped Potter's work generally by the setting based on five major regions of England-Scotland-Wales where she spent most of her life. Within each grouping the artwork is mostly chronological, but not strictly so. The introduction explains that Potter lived in certain places at certain times of her life, occasionally returning to (say) Scotland or London for long periods, so the groupings work together to provide a biography through art, with some overlap as Potter moves around the island.

Potter is well-known for her children's book illustrations and somewhat less well-known for her mycological and other nature studies. As a fairly comprehensive look at her work, The Art of Beatrix Potter includes a variety of selections representing each of the different things she made but of course it simply can't reproduce every extant sketch or painting, even in the generous 300 pages. There is no running text through the book, instead there are captions for each image that show great care for the inclusions and explain why this image or that is worthwhile. As an example, there are at least two watercolors Potter created as a teenager that are included because they show the kind of places she lived and also demonstrate how her style evolved from heavy, deep tones to the famous airy washes. These paintings contrast with much later studies of buildings, gardens, or other landscapes that she made for the bunny books.

I read this book months ago and poured over the images with my friends, but couldn't write a review at the time because I didn't know how to succinctly describe how great it is - as a book and as an art collection. The quality is top-notch and it now lives with my other prized art books. It helps that I have some nostalgia for the bunny books from my childhood, but The Art of Beatrix Potter is worthwhile in its own right. ( )

What a beautiful book! Well-designed with some truly lovely illustrations by Potter. Clearly a labor of love by Zach. I have never wanted to meet Potter before reading this book, but now I wish that I could talk to her about mycology. A very talented artist and scientist, and this work does her justice. ( )

Beatrix Potter is best known for her sweet children's books, but many might not realize she was a talented illustrator as well. The famous images from books like "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" were all done by her. This book gives an in-depth look at her work. It's also filled with detailed descriptions of her life. Readers can learn about where she grew up and the areas that inspired her artwork. Each section is divided by the location in the U.K. where it takes place. You also read about her tragically short engagement and her relationships with her parents, all of which impacted her work.

There are luscious illustrations by Potter of animal scenes, landscapes, even some from classics like Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. She also did studies of insects, mushrooms, and archeological discoveries and her burgeoning talent is clear in the earliest images.

BOTTOM LINE: This is such a lovely edition for any fan of Beatrix Potter, but it's also a treat for any artist or illustrator. ( )