Augustus John

The archetypal rebel artist and bohemian, the painter Augustus John (1878-1961) broke free from a stifling Welsh provincial background to become as famous for his flamboyant and unruly life as for his brilliant portraiture. When the John papers became available to scholars in the 1980s, startling new information was uncovered, leading Michael Holroyd to revise his celebrated life of the artist. The result is a freshly insightful revised version of one of the definitive modern English biographies. In this new version, Holroyd recounts the complete story of John and his circle. It is a tale of three countries - Wales, England, and France - and three formidable women who helped to shape his life: his tragic wife, Ida, mother of five; his muse and model, the famous Dorelia; and his mysterious sister Gwen, an artist of at least equal stature who was also Rodin's mistress.