John F. Carlson — Sixth Printing (c. 1940)
James Gurney’s personal study copy
This is my personal copy of Elementary Principles of Landscape Painting by John F. Carlson — the book that fundamentally shaped the way I think about light, value, and landscape structure.
I studied from this copy early on, and you’ll see a handwritten note from me on the title page explaining its importance in my own development as a landscape painter. Aside from that inscription, the interior pages are clean, with no markings, underlining, or notes.
The book is the sixth printing, from April, 1940. It shows honest signs of age: some staining on the end papers, light wear to the cloth cover, and the general patina you’d expect from a well-used art book that’s more than eighty years old. All plates and text are present and intact.
Carlson’s ideas about angles, value patterns, light, and atmosphere remain as relevant now as when the book was first published. For many painters, this is the foundation text for understanding landscape painting from life. His tone is forthright, practical, and refreshing.
This copy is being offered not just as a used book, but as a working volume passed from one generation of landscape painters to the next.
Only one available.
Details
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Author: John F. Carlson
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Title: Elementary Principles of Landscape Painting
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Printing: Sixth printing (c. 1940)
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Condition: Good vintage condition; endpaper staining; clean interior
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Provenance: From the personal library of James Gurney, signed on title page