This Dark Country
This Dark Country
Women Artists, Still Life and Intimacy in the Early Twentieth Century
By Rebecca Birrell
Unit price / per
Shortlisted for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2022
Longlisted for the William M B Berger Prize for British Art History 2022
A boldly original work that tells the powerful stories of a group of extraordinary women as glimpsed through their still life paintings
**Picked as an Art Book of the Year 2021 by the Guardian**
'As seductive as it is scholarly ... Riveting' Financial Times
'A wonderfully rich, deeply researched page-turner ... Sumptuous, precise and bewitching' Jennifer Higgie
'Playful, provocative ... Her attentive, evocative prose renderings of paintings are pleasures in themselves' Times Literary Supplement
------------------------------
Lemons gleam in a bowl. Flowers fan out softly in a vase. A door swings open in a sparsely furnished room. What is contained in a still life - and what falls out of the frame?
For women artists in the early twentieth century, including Ethel Sands, Nina Hamnett, Vanessa Bell and Gwen John, who lived in and around the Bloomsbury Group, the still life was a conduit for their lives, their rebellions, their quiet loves for men and women. Gluck, who challenged the framing of her gender and her art, painted flowers arranged by the woman she loved; Dora Carrington, a Slade School graduate, recorded eggs on a table at Tidmarsh Mill, where she built a richly fulfilling if delicate life with Lytton Strachey.
But for every artist we remember, there is one we have forgotten, who leaves only elusive traces, whose art was replaced by being a mother or wife, whose remaining artworks lie dusty in archives or attics.
In this boldly original blend of group biography and art criticism, Rebecca Birrell brings these shadowy figures into the light and conducts a dazzling investigation into the structures of intimacy that make - and dismantle - our worlds.
'Unusual and refreshing ... Brilliant' Leanne Shapton
'A brilliant book ... A truly radical aesthetics fit for the twenty-first century at last!' Therese Oulton
'[A] wonderful book. I am impressed and fascinated. It is beautifully written' Celia Paul
'A magnificent debut by one of Britain's most electrifying new talents' Camilla Grudova
'A bold, unusual book, filled with archival research, exuberant ideas and a determination to counter misogyny' Diana Souhami, RA Magazine
GIFT WRAPPING
GIFT WRAPPING
Gift Wrapping available. Select the Gift Wrap option in your cart prior to checkout.
BOOK DETAILS
BOOK DETAILS
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781526604019
Publish/Release date:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Number of pages: 384
Width (mm): 153
Height (mm): 234
Depth (mm):
Share this product
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Australian National University. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Bondi Junction. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Burnside Village. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Carindale. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Green Hills. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Kotara. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Macquarie. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Maroochydore. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Marrickville. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Miranda. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Narellan. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Penrith. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Tuggeranong. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Warringah. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Reserve and collect
You are reserving this item at Harry Hartog Woden. Reservations are held for 24 hours.
Gift Vouchers and Curated Book Recommendations
-
Harry Hartog Gift Voucher
Regular price From $30.00 AUDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Bibliotonic For Youths
Regular price $75.00 AUDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Children's Book Subscription
Regular price From $110.00 AUDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Harry Hartog Book Subscription
Regular price From $138.00 AUDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Harry Hartog Cookbook Subscription
Regular price From $200.00 AUDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Bibliotonic For Adults
Regular price $150.00 AUDRegular priceUnit price / per
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.