Christopher Le Brun

In the early 1980s, Christopher Le Brun became the major British exponent of an international movement in painting that enabled artists to escape the dominating influence of post-war abstraction. Central to this new aesthetic was a passionate belief in the power of figurative art, the legitimacy of recovering a sense of national traditions, & the re-exploration of narrative. Le Brun's classical yet muscular visual vocabulary -- featuring startling motifs in the form of wings, horses & epic figures -- demonstrates a resilient independence of spirit, one which has brought a unique inventiveness to the arena of 'traditional' painting. Trained at the Slade School of Art, & the Chelsea School of Art in London, Le Brun went on to win a number of awards for his work. He is a trustee of the National Gallery, & in 1996, was elected a member of the Royal Academy. Published to coincide with an exhibition of his work to be held at the Marlborough Fine Art gallery in London, Christopher Le Brun offers a lavish & authoritative survey of the artist's major works to date. An illuminating dialogue with Bryan Robertson, former director of London's Whitechapel Art Gallery, allows Le Brun to discuss the issues & inspirations that have informed his career. The book also gives due recognition to his celebrated work as a printmaker & his recent sculptural work. Includes over 225 illustrations, including excerpts from both sketchbooks & notebooks. Designed by John Morgan.