The Art of J.J. Hilder, edited by Ure Smith & Bertram Stevens, published by Angus & Robertson 1918.

This is a professionally rebound copy.

The book has an original gift inscription on the half-title page: " To My Beloved Husband from his wife May 19th 1919".

A pencil note on the first free endpaper reads: "...rebound after Daddy died 1973". Small sticker for "Bookart Fine Bookbinders" inside cover.

New maroon cloth binding with gilt lettering to cover and spine, like new condition.

Browning to first of the original pages (a free end paper), scattered spotting to title page and opposite page with first tipped-in print. The rest of the book is clean and bright, exceptionally well preserved condition, with illustrations and tipped-in colour plates of paintings throughout.

J J Hilder was born at Toowoomba, Queensland. Greatly admired by his contemporaries, both artists and collectors, for his atmospheric watercolours; his career was cut short by his premature death from tuberculosis. Principally a watercolourist, he exhibited his first works in August 1907 at the Society of Artists exhibition in Sydney. Poor health deterred him from painting in oils, but he did make a small number of monotypes using oil paint between 1911 and 1913.

"The work of creative artists is of far greater importance to a nation than is generally imagined, for it is the best indication of the height to which its people have attained. I feel sure that the water-colours of J. J. Hilder will be regarded as amongst the finest expressions of the soul of Australia." - Ure Smith