The Major Rock Paintings of Southern Africa: Facsimile Reproductions by R Townley Johnson

Southern Africa is the richest treasury of Stone Age art in the world.

Artist, conservationist and mountaineer, T Townley Johnson has spent more than 25 years copying with infinite precision-even to the very texture of the rock face-over 1000 rock paintings, some of which have subsequently been defaced or destroyed.

Of the 106 rock paintings reproduced in this book, 60 have not been published previously and, of those that have been published, few have been reproduced at all adequately until now.

Nearly half the paintings have been reproduced in full colour. Those chosen for less colourful treatment are outstanding for their composition or interest rather than for their colour.

The variety and quality of these paintings will astonish those who may have seen only a few stereotyped silhouettes of rock paintings.

Dr Ray Inskeep, of the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford, writes in his preface, ‘many of them are works of great artistic merit, worthy of attention not only worthy for the fascination of their content, but also for the skill an d wit of the artist….. Were they on canvas or board, they would find their place among the national art treasures in most civilised countries.

Contains facsimile reproductions of 106 rock paintings, half of them in in full colour with text.

• Caramel coloured cloth covered boards with printing on the front cover. Front board is slightly bent upwards and has two light water stains. Back board also water stained but tight and straight. Title on spine. Spine is tight.

• Contents are clean and bright. Edges of pages slightly tinted with age. Very light and slight water damage to the bottom of text block, but still a very good copy. Otherwise in Good to Very Good condition.

• Dust Jacket. Condition: Good. Shelf wear on the edges, also nicked and small tears along the edges and the ends of the spine and folds. One medium sized missing piece on front panel at bottom right corner 3,5 by 4,5 cm from the corner. Water stained on back panel, but no significant damage. Wrapped in protective Brodart book cover.

• Hard Cover. Condition: Good.

• Published by David Philip Publishers, 1979.

• Binding Condition: Good.

• Overall Condition: Good.

• Size: quarto, 333 mm X 343 mm X 17 mm.

• 95 pages.

• ISBN 10: 0949968722

The hard cover copy is very scarce, and this is a magnificent treasure of Southern African Rock Art. Stunning rich colourful photographs. A treasure on the shelf for any historian, art lover and South African.