A painter we ought to know; Richard Parkes Bonington, by Carlos Peacock. New York: Taplinger Publishing Company. $25.

This book will, one hopes, help dispel the blank looks too frequently encountered upon hearing the name Richard Parkes Bonington. Genius, innovative painter, watercolorist, and lithographer, friend and colleague of Delacroix, inspiration to Corot and Turner, one of the grandfathers of Impressionism, Bonington was a sparkling creator who accomplished more in his short 26 years than most artists could dream of in 75.

Any book on Bonington would be welcome, but we are especially fortunate to have, in this slender volume, not only a clearly written and appreciative text, but enough good illustrations to tell us precisely what the various aspects of his art looked like.

This is particularly true of the excellent color illustrations, which tell their own brilliant story of the unfolding of painterly genius.

Even at its price , this book deserves to be on every art lover's bookshelf.