Ivon Hitchens

‘Peter Khoroche has shown how a passionately local idea became part of international modernism.’ TLS Ivon Hitchens (1893-1979) is widely regarded as the outstanding English landscape painter of the 20th century. His daring yet subtle use of colour and brushmark makes his work instantly recognisable in public and private collections throughout the world. Newly available in paperback, this remains the definitive study of Hitchens’ life and work. Peter Khoroche draws on the painter’s published writings, correspondence and conversation to present a critical reappraisal of Hitchens’ theory and practice. He surveys the entire oeuvre (still-lifes, flower pieces, nudes, interiors and large-scale murals besides the landscapes), a huge legacy of work spanning sixty years, and charts the journey from conventional beginnings to ‘figurative abstraction’. Over 100 colour images, examples of Hitchens’ best and most characteristic painting in all genres, provide a retrospective exhibition covering the artist’s entire career. These illustrations, singled out for praise by reviewers of the hardback edition, demonstrate the artist’s outstanding talents and reinforce his standing as a key figure in the history of British art.