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Marcus Stone's father, Frank Stone, was himself a well-known painter and gave his son an artistic education. Marcus Stone (1840 - 1921) exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts for the first time at the age of 17. He became known for his very emotional portraits and the realistic depiction of scenes from literature. Thus he illustrated books by the well-known British author Charles Dickens, from whose pen works of world literature such as "Great Expectations", "David Copperfield" and "Oliver Twist" were written. While Charles Dickens lives in bourgeois circumstances, he places the social and societal grievances of his time at the centre of his artistic work. The wealthy Marcus Stone, on the other hand, is preceded by a reputation for being vain and having a weakness for an elegant style of dress.
The work on Dickens novels "Our Common Friend" and "Great Expectations" makes Stone's illustrations accessible to a large audience. Many of Dickens novels were first published as sequels in newspapers, as was customary at the time. Stone also did illustrations for Anthony Trollope for his novel "He Knew He Was Right". Besides literary episodes, the artist liked to show historical scenes. An example of this is his portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte in "On the Road from Waterloo to Paris". His predilection for the detailed depiction of sentimental scenes as well as the great clarity of his coloring can be clearly seen in works such as "Her First Love Letter" or in "Waiting". In doing so, he remains more in the tradition of 18th century English painting. Due to the selection of romantic scenes, his works are also suitable for illustrating Jane Austen novels, which were written long before Marcus Stone's birth at the beginning of the 19th century. Austen's partly ironic observation of social customs and the situation of unmarried, young women from the bourgeoisie still make her novels a moral portrait of that time.
Marcus Stone's works are contemporary witnesses of the Victorian age in Great Britain. His literary illustrations and reproductions of his paintings were already in great demand during his lifetime, making Stone a wealthy man. His paintings can be seen today in major museums such as the Manchester Art Gallery in Yorkshire, the Tate Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Marcus Stone's father, Frank Stone, was himself a well-known painter and gave his son an artistic education. Marcus Stone (1840 - 1921) exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts for the first time at the age of 17. He became known for his very emotional portraits and the realistic depiction of scenes from literature. Thus he illustrated books by the well-known British author Charles Dickens, from whose pen works of world literature such as "Great Expectations", "David Copperfield" and "Oliver Twist" were written. While Charles Dickens lives in bourgeois circumstances, he places the social and societal grievances of his time at the centre of his artistic work. The wealthy Marcus Stone, on the other hand, is preceded by a reputation for being vain and having a weakness for an elegant style of dress.
The work on Dickens novels "Our Common Friend" and "Great Expectations" makes Stone's illustrations accessible to a large audience. Many of Dickens novels were first published as sequels in newspapers, as was customary at the time. Stone also did illustrations for Anthony Trollope for his novel "He Knew He Was Right". Besides literary episodes, the artist liked to show historical scenes. An example of this is his portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte in "On the Road from Waterloo to Paris". His predilection for the detailed depiction of sentimental scenes as well as the great clarity of his coloring can be clearly seen in works such as "Her First Love Letter" or in "Waiting". In doing so, he remains more in the tradition of 18th century English painting. Due to the selection of romantic scenes, his works are also suitable for illustrating Jane Austen novels, which were written long before Marcus Stone's birth at the beginning of the 19th century. Austen's partly ironic observation of social customs and the situation of unmarried, young women from the bourgeoisie still make her novels a moral portrait of that time.
Marcus Stone's works are contemporary witnesses of the Victorian age in Great Britain. His literary illustrations and reproductions of his paintings were already in great demand during his lifetime, making Stone a wealthy man. His paintings can be seen today in major museums such as the Manchester Art Gallery in Yorkshire, the Tate Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.