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“Island Ceylon” is a substantial and lavishly made volume of Roloff Beny’s fine travel art-photography. This book is a visual and literary feast, capturing the essence of Sri Lanka, an island that has captivated travellers for over 2,000 years.
The book features 72 ‘tipped-in’ colour plates and 32 pages of sepia gravure (a posh term for black and white, some experimenting effectively with solarisation), all accompanied by instructive notes on the sites. It also includes 26 line drawings and maps.
John Lindsay Opie introduces sections of anthologised writings forming a comprehensive cultural history of the island. These start with the Sinhalese historical Chronicles from the archaic period, which charmingly mix in folk tales and the stories of Buddha’s 3 visits. The anthology also includes travelogues from the medieval period like Ibn Battuta’s, and some experiences of the colonial British.
Themed around the “5 Elements”, there are sections on Hindu, Buddhist and Tamil culture, providing a deep dive into the rich and diverse heritage of Sri Lanka.
Please note that this book is a used copy and is currently out of print. It is a rare find for those who appreciate the beauty, history, and culture of this remarkable island.
Island Ceylon
PRODUCT INFO
Designed and photographed by Roloff Beny
Text and anthology by John Lindsay Opie
In his overall design and in his choice of photographs, Roloff Beny has succeeded in evoking the incomparable spectrum of the island in 72 colour plates, the historical cities in 32 pages of sepia gravure, and the landscapes and artefacts in line illustrations. John Lindsay Opie has vowen this complex history into an informative text where he contributes his own perceptive critical analysis.
Publication date: 1971
Used copy
Out of print