THE death of Norman Stevens, at the age of only 51 in 1988, was a great loss not only to art, as a forthcoming exhibition, book and catalogue raisonné will demonstrate, but to anyone who came across him; his Times obituary stressed his concern for ‘a friend in difficulties, an artist neglected, or for the public good’.
His widow, Jean, remembers his ‘great sense of humour’ and his love of gardens and conservation: ‘He was always getting people together to protest about old buildings being knocked down.’ At Rugby Mansions, London W14, where the Stevenses lived latterly, he turned the communal backyard into a garden, with a fountain by Ainsley Yule and wall sculpture by Nigel Hall; it is named in his memory.
Catalogues raisonné tend towards practicality, but the one produced by the 100-year-old Redfern Gallery in London W1, which Stevens joined in 1977 and which represents his estate, is as pleasing to a book lover as a specialist. Most of the 108 prints show the ‘charm and mystery of the English countryside’, as Michael Healey of the Redfern writes in his comprehensive introductory essay, Master of Shadow. It is an apt title, because printmaking as an art and shadow as a subject became Stevens’s obsession.
Denne historien er fra June 14, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 14, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
