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Muse

Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History's Masterpieces
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( 167 ratings, 29 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Muse by Ruth Millington unveils the hidden figures behind art history's masterpieces, highlighting the unexpected, overlooked and forgotten models who inspired iconic works. Challenging the outdated trope of the muse as a passive, powerless figure, this book reveals the muses as active contributors who brought emotional support, intellectual energy and creativity to renowned artists. From Leonardo da Vinci's studio to Vogue covers, Millington explores real-life relationships between artists and their muses, reframing them as empowered agents in art history.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in arts, culture, art history and feminist reinterpretations of historical narratives, as well as those who enjoy discovering the untold stories behind famous artworks.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Uncovering the hidden figures behind art history's masterpieces

Meet the unexpected, overlooked and forgotten models of art history.

Who was Picasso's Weeping Woman?
Why was Grace Jones covered in graffiti?
How did Francis Bacon meet the burglar who became his muse?

The perception of the muse is that of a passive, powerless model, at the mercy of an influential and older artist. But is this trope a romanticised myth? Far from posing silently, muses have brought emotional support, intellectual energy, career-changing creativity and practical help to artists.

Muse tells the true stories of the incredible muses who have inspired art history's masterpieces. From Leonardo da Vinci's studio to the covers of Vogue, art historian, critic and writer Ruth Millington uncovers the remarkable role of muses in some of art history's most well-known and significant works. Delving into the real-life relationships that models have held with the artists who immortalised them, it will expose the influential and active part they have played and deconstruct reductive stereotypes, reframing the muse as a momentous and empowered agent of art history.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Packed with enchanting tales, Muse shines a spotlight on often unnamed and forgotten figures, telling their stories on their own terms. Critics praise it as a rich and detailed unraveling of the muse myth, deftly returning agency to these influential individuals. The book is described as exhilarating, fascinating and enlightening, shedding light on a relatively uncharted area of art history with a strong feminist perspective and surprising insights.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529110418

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 07 April 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Square Peg

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Dina Razin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 31.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 204.0mm

Weight: 445g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Ruth Millington (Author) Ruth Millington is an art historian, writer and critic. After studying art history during an MA at the University of Oxford, Ruth Millington spent five years working for museums and galleries across the UK, including the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art and renowned modern art dealership Connaught Brown. She is an art expert on radio and TV, including BBC Breakfast, Woman's Hour, ITV News, BBC WM Radio, Radio 4's Today programme and in a Sky Arts documentary on Cold War Steve, entitled 'Cold War Steve Meets the Outside World'. Ruth has had writing featured across national newspapers, including the Telegraph, the i, The Sunday Times, Daily Mail and Express, , She is also a regular contributor to Art UK, writing features that bring art history to life through engaging stories and interviews with artists. Working with museums and galleries, Ruth has written extended essays for exhibition catalogues on artists including Samin Ahmadzadeh, Annette Pugh, Shani Rhys James, Baltasar Lobo, Ben Nicholson and Julie van der Vaart. In 2019, Ruth wrote a catalogue on the artist Eric Tucker to accompany a major show at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery, achieving national press coverage. Ruth lectures on art history, and has spoken at Coventry University, the University of Oxford and Sotheby's Institute of Art, where she is Head of the Careers Service. Ruth also manages an award-winning art blog at www.ruthmillington.com. She uses the platform to write, in particular, about women artists and gender in art history. Twitter- @ruth_millington

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