Lawrence Gowing

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As one of the leading critical voices on art of the post-war years, Lawrence Gowing (1918-1991) combined a passion for close visual involvement with formidable literary skills.00Having begun his career as a painter, Gowing's monograph on Vermeer (1952) brought him early recognition as a writer who combined this experience with a meticulous historical perspective. His foremost commitment was with the pioneering painters of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, notably Paul C∞♭zanne and Henri Matisse.0 0The exhibitions Gowing curated at Tate, London, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York famously helped to mould and reshape public perceptions. Characterised by a desire to instruct and encourage, his writing reflects a highly successful career as a curator and teacher. Introduced by the editor Sarah Whitfield, four decades of writing are brought together for the first time in this volume