{"title":"Annalyn Swan","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the fascinating world of Annalyn Swan, a masterful biographer renowned for her insightful exploration of the art world. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for uncovering the stories behind the canvas, Swan brings to life the intriguing personalities and tumultuous lives of some of the most renowned artists in history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer celebrated work, \u003cem\u003eFrancis Bacon\u003c\/em\u003e, co-authored with Mark Stevens, is an authoritative and comprehensive biography that offers readers a gripping look into the life and legacy of the iconic 20th-century artist. This compelling narrative provides a profound understanding of Bacon's creative genius, personal struggles, and the cultural milieu that shaped his revolutionary art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect for enthusiasts of Biography \u0026amp; Memoir, Annalyn Swan's books provide a blend of meticulous research and engaging storytelling, offering readers an immersive journey into the lives of extraordinary individuals who have left an indelible mark on the world of art.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"francis-bacon-by-annalyn-swan-9780007298426","title":"Francis Bacon","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e Art Book of the Year 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFINALIST FOR THE PLUTARCH AWARD 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘Must surely be the definitive life of Francis Bacon … A biography that no Bacon fan – or indeed foe – can afford to overlook … Mesmerising’ THE TIMES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A magnificent triumph … I was captivated by every line’ OBSERVER\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA decade in the making, based upon hundreds of interviews and extensive new material, Pulitzer Prize winners Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan have written a startlingly original portrait – rich, complex, and subtle – of a commanding modern figure.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBacon concealed many important aspects of his life. He described himself as an asthmatic child in Ireland with foxhunting parents and a tyrannical father, but he was also rescued by a series of formidable women – women who in this biography emerge in their own right. He was never just a dissolute young man but was also a passionate reader, largely self-taught. Early on, influenced by Eileen Gray, he became a hard-working and ambitious designer, a brief career explored here in detail for the first time. He dreamed of remaking the modern room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBacon worked no less hard or ambitiously as a painter, at first with little success. Throughout the 1930s and early ’40s he suffered ongoing failures, growing isolated and often ill. His health issues throughout his life were far more significant than he revealed. Then came his astonishing breakthrough in 1944, with \u003cem\u003eThree Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion\u003c\/em\u003e. In the following decades, he emerged as one of the great iconoclasts and \u003cem\u003ebon vivants\u003c\/em\u003e of his time, a Wildean figure whom one friend called ‘a terrific grandee.’ Bacon was typically celebrated as a sexual adventurer who liked rough trade, but he never stopped longing for a serious committed relationship, however painful. He continued to make disturbing images of the strangeness within, but developed into a more varied artist than has been recognised, creating in particular an extraordinary series of self-portraits. He was an artist who believed in chance and paradox: the iconoclast eventually became an icon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a story, deeply researched and masterfully told, of a sickly boy who became one of the great figures of his time. The twentieth century does not know itself without Bacon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46627289891052,"sku":"9780007298426","price":42.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15904163482190.jpg?v=1751882651"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/annalyn-swan.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}