The Painted Furniture Sourcebook: Motifs from the Medieval Times to the Present Day
The tradition of decorative painting has a long and rich history, spanning many countries and many styles, from the straightforward, large-scale designs of Sweden and the bold motifs of Pennsylvania Dutch to the intricate classicism of England's Robert Adam and the free-flowing brushwork of the Bloomsbury group. This guided tour of outstanding embodiments of the art form collects extraordinary walls, ceilings, beds, chests, cabinets, and other examples, grouping them by motif (fruits and flowers, figures and animals, classical, and abstract and geometric) and offering a very brief glimpse of the techniques used. A 16-page section at book's end breaks out some of the major motifs for those wishing to try this at home. Unless you're quite experienced in the field already, you're better off with one of Sloan's other books to learn the nitty-gritty; if you've already got a good dose of confidence in your painting ability, this is a nice reference for general inspiration.--Amy Handy