Painted Ladies

For twenty-five years, the legendary Marthe has been Pierre Bonnard’s companion and muse. His new model Renée, lovely and captivating, thinks it’s time her rival stepped aside. But Marthe won’t give up her place in history without a fight. An artist may have many models but there can be only one muse.

‘Superbly evocative of Paris circa 1917 and the author’s own sensibility as an artist is reflected in her use of language. I’m very interested in art and novels about art, and absolutely loved this book.’, ‘A fascinating insight into the lives of those immortalised in the paintings we see in galleries... will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever wanted to delve further into their worlds.’, ‘Fascinating and tragic, Painted Ladies brilliantly depicts the dynamic between painter and model, power and vulnerability. Renée’s voice, with echoes of Jean Rhys’s heroines, resonates long.’, ‘A beautifully written and compelling story of beauty, art and rivalry.’

Lynn studied Art History and Philosophy at Edinburgh University and Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art. After graduating she worked as a journalist to support her work as an artist and spent three years as a features editor on Vanity Fair magazine and two years as researcher to the biographer Michael Holroyd. She contributes articles on a freelance basis to Art Review, The Guardian and Observer and in 2014 won the New Writer Award for best feature.