A gorgeously readable, insightful dual biography of British brother and sister artists Gwen and Augustus John, perfect for readers of The Unfinished Palazzo, Square Haunting and The Story of Art Without Men.

'Outstanding' - The Guardian 'Judith Mackrell has done an incredible job in bringing to life the stories of these two great artists' - Anthony d'Offay 'This is a must-read . . . A deeply moving account of a family bursting with talent' - Anne Sebba In many ways they were polar opposites . . . Augustus was the larger of the two; vivid, volatile and promiscuous, he was a hero among romantics and bohemians, celebrated as one of the great British talents of his generation. As a woman, Gwen's place in the art world was smaller and harder, and her private way of working and reserved nature meant it was only long after her death that her gift was fully acknowledged. In Artists, Siblings, Visionaries Mackrell tells the remarkable stories of these immensely talented siblings, both of who's experiments with form and colour created some of the most exciting work of the early twentieth century.

Details

ISBN13: 9781529095883
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 448
Edition:
Publication Date: 16 Jun 2026
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 19.7(H)x13(L)x2.9(W)328
Weight (gm): 328

Author Biography

Judith Mackrell is a celebrated dance critic, writing first for The Independent and now for The Guardian. Her biography of the Russian ballerina Lydia Lopokova, Bloomsbury Ballerina, was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award. She has also appeared on television and radio, as well as writing on dance, co-authoring The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. She lives in London with her family.

Reviews

Judith Mackrell has done an incredible job in bringing to life the stories of these two great artists -- Anthony D’Offay
This dream of a book lures us back to that most fascinating world, that of Gwen and Augustus John -- Louisa Young author of Twelve Months and a Day
This is a must read . . . a deeply moving account of a family bursting with talent -- Anne Sebba, author of The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz
Wonderfully conjures the siblings’ radical lives and the changing world they inhabited . . . Judith Mackrell’s splendid double biography, does full justice to each of these prodigious talents * Financial Times *
Superb . . . a fine portrait of these two artists -- Oliver Soden * Daily Telegraph *
Outstanding . . . Mackrell approaches her subjects with an almost novelistic sensibility -- Jonathan Jones * The Guardian *
Absorbing . . . Mackrell says in her opening pages, if Gus and Gwen were 'admirable or awful'. By the end of this haunting book they seem admirable in their awfulness -- Frances Wilson * The Spectator *
A thoroughly researched and effortlessly written account of the extraordinary lives of Augustus and Gwen John, encompassing painting, of course, but also obsessive love, infidelity, betrayal, family, sibling rivalry and relationships, and how they both subverted society’s expectations. A fantastic read - the pages virtually turned themselves -- Fanny Blake
Lively . . . nuanced * The Times *
Mackrell is skilled at suspenseful structuring. The stories of their lives play out like a moralising Victorian tale, Augustus appearing to take the broad and easy way while Gwen, on the narrow path, finds greater artistic rewards . . . compelling. -- Tanya Harrod * Literary Review *