"This handsome and engaging volume provides an admirably crafted account of the life, art, and posthumous reputation of one of the nineteenth century’s most striking and individual painters. Payne’s thorough knowledge of the practices of nineteenth-century agriculture and naturalist’s appreciation of the English countryside as portrayed by artists grounds her presentation of Samuel Palmer. By quoting extensively from his letters and other writings, she gives a vivid picture of the man: fervent, intense, eloquent, and idiosyncratic."

Scott Wilcox, senior research scholar, Yale Center for British Art

“Payne is an expert guide to the dusky, glimmering world of Samuel Palmer. Rich in detail and visual description, her writing elegantly steers the reader through the artist’s life and landscapes, revealing along the way the man behind the magic and the reality embedded in the enchantment.”

Nicola Moorby, curator and author of "Turner and Constable: Art, Life, Landscape"

“On the surface, there appear to be many Samuel Palmers: the rebellious young man, the anxious middle-aged professional, the reclusive elderly dabbler, still slowly perfecting his private musings. Christiana Payne’s new book allows us to see his work as a whole, with the strong sense of continuity that underlies it. Palmer was individualistic and uncompromising but Payne’s close attention to the documentary sources reveals lifelong friendships which brought both sustenance and heartache. She has a rare ‘double vision’, highly sensitive to the material qualities of individual pictures, yet balanced with a breadth of knowledge of the shifting social and artistic background to Palmer’s long productive life.”

Timothy Wilcox, author of "Constable and Salisbury: The Soul of Landscape"