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Muse

Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History's Masterpieces

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Muse

By: Ruth Millington, Dina Razin - illustrator
Narrated by: Florence Howard
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.

©2022 Ruth Millington (P)2022 Penguin Audio Art
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I didn’t always agree with Ruth’s arguments about the muse - but that only made it even better. She does a wonderful job of challenging the notion of the muse through many great examples through art history. My only negative about this and other art books on this platform is that you need a pdf or even just links or a list of the works discussed so you can look at them at the same time. Art is visual

Wonderful and wonderfully challenging

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This book is a treasure-trove of art historical knowledge that leaves you feeling empowered, can’t recommend more.

Fantastic

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I nearly gave up on this book halfway through when I hit a patch of artworks that seemed to be chosen for their topicality, rather than talent, but I’m glad I didn’t. Obviously, people differ over what they consider good art, and I am no different. However, continuing on (busily Googling each of the works mentioned) I found the whole process rather fun, and discovered some brilliant new (to me) art works.

I nearly gave up

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