author
John W. (John William) Mollett
Best known for lively books on painters such as Rembrandt, Watteau, and Sir David Wilkie, this Victorian art writer helped make European art history more approachable for general readers. His work also ranged into reference writing, including an illustrated dictionary of terms used in art and archaeology.
1 Audiobook
An Illustrated Dictionary of Words used in Art and Archaeology Explaining terms frequently used in works on architecture, arms, bronzes, Christian art, colour, costume, decoration, devices, emblems, heraldry, lace, personal ornaments, pottery, painting, sculpture, &c., with their derivations.
by John W. (John William) Mollett
About the author
John W. Mollett, often listed as John William Mollett, was a 19th-century English writer on art. Records connected with Oxford identify him as John William Mollett and note that he studied at Brasenose College, later taking a B.A. His books were written for a broad audience rather than specialists, with clear introductions to artists, schools, and major works.
He wrote a number of short art studies, including books on Rembrandt, Watteau, Meissonier, and Sir David Wilkie, as well as volumes on the Painters of Barbizon. He is also known for An Illustrated Dictionary of Words Used in Art and Archaeology, a practical reference work that shows how wide his interests were across painting, architecture, design, and material culture.
Some basic biographical details about his life remain hard to confirm from the sources available online, so modern readers usually know him best through his books. Even so, his work still offers a useful window into how art was explained to English-speaking readers in the late Victorian period.