This book contains clippings from published reviews of the various works exhibited by the artist and diarist Joseph Farington during his career. The volume also contains a small booklet of extracts of early reviews, copied by Susan Farington, that were sent to Joseph's brother Robert, then curate at Gillingham in Kent.
Farington was a student of the landscape painter Richard Wilson (1714-82), and exhibited works annually from 1765 until 1813, primarily at the Royal Academy, where he was elected Academician in 1785. The influence of Wilson was evident in Farington's work, particularly in the detail he included in trees and foliage, never quite developing a unique style. Although his paintings were praised for their lightness and detail, they faced continuous criticism for occasional overworking, severe lines (particularly in foliage and on grasses), colour choices, subject matter and perspective.

It is clear from the reviews that Farington's work showed potential – it was often compared to Canaletto, particularly in his approach to buildings – and it appears that he took the criticism to heart, considering he created a volume to contain such reviews. It is evident he tried very hard to improve, reviews for his watercolours of Stoke Park and Edinbugh Castle were met with near-universal praise when exhibitied in 1801 and 1804 respectively. Despite the critiques, he maintained a steady income selling his drawings to be engraved for the large multi-volume topographical works Britannia Depicta (1808-14) and its companion Magna Britannia (1806-22). He also provided instruction in landscape painting to Lady Mary Lowther (1785-1863), daughter of the Earl of Lonsdale.

From 1813 until his death, drawing appears to have become more of a leisurely pursuit, Farington instead focusing more upon the general business of the Royal Academy, maintaining his comprehensive diary (16 vols, 1793-1821),  writing a biography of Sir Joshua Reynolds (published in 1819) and preparing a history of the first fifty years of the Academy. This may have been a result of the financial problems faced by the two Britannia series, delays in the publication of which meant that fewer drawings were needed from its contributing artists, as well as Farington's own failing eyesight which prevented him from making his drawings as detailed as he wished.

In 1818, Farington briefly toyed with the idea of exhibiting pictures one final time but was dissuaded by a letter (pasted into this volume) from his close friend Robert Smirke, which declared: "If you had been in the habit of shewing your pictures, & like most other people, could listen with philosophical indifference to the animadversions of your friends or casual visitors, I should say by all means share your pictures … but tremblingly alive, as you are to looks, & words, & half-words, I really think you would do wrong to shew them." The letter went on to explain that landscape painting had changed since Farington had last exhibited, a new generation of painters (such as Constable and Turner) had come to the fore and Smirke declared that even Wilson, if he were alive, would not do well in the current climate.