Listed in 'Reading Corner'

Britain, October 2019

The Women who Inspired London Art is an enjoyable book, full of diverting anecdotes and interesting titbits. It gives us stories of some of the most celebrated artist-model partnerships in London.

Read the full review here

Alexander Adams Art

This book starts with the general and moves on to the specific, covering the personalities and life styles of the various artists prominent in London in the early twentieth century, as well as conditions for models in studios and schools, before looking specifically at the Avico sisters as examples of models from the time They appear to have been luckier than most, making a decent living compared to the majority of unknown models.

It is an interesting book for those interested in the milieu of the London art scene in the 1910s – 1930s.

Rosemarie Cawkwell, Blogger

The Women Who Inspired London Art reads as an exhibition: Its glossy, colourful spreads, accompanied by well-researched text capture the excitement of a movement in a way that’s highly accessible. I was able to hear the voices and the debates as, through each chapter, we traversed the times, ideals, different scenes, war, bright lights and faces of the period. For anyone who hasn’t encountered modernism before, seen through this lens, the subject is fantastically readable.

Read the full review here

She Noted, Chloe Prince

The author gives an overview of a multitude of elements, some unexpected, which influenced art in London before the Second World War and may well inspire a reader to seek further information about a painter, model or artistic style.

Read the full review here

Denise Bates, Author

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful book and recommend it as a cracking good read. Useful and attractive it will be essential to researchers, those in search of inspiration or those who love seeing photographs of the women who shaped our artistic landscape.

Read the full review here

The Kissed Mouth Blog

The Women Who Inspired London Art is lively and packs in a lot of information about artists and their models.

Read the full review here

The Penniless Press

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Anglophiles, historians and art lovers
This is an engaging and illuminating book about a subject on which little has been written. Models who posed for artists in early twentieth century London were muses for many of the significant paintings and sculptures of the time. Sometimes the model was a family member of the artist, or a famous or infamous acquaintance. The majority of life models were, however, anonymous and are unknown today. This book covers the art scene and all of its participants from the turn of the 20th century through 1930. It focuses on the colorful artists and models of the times, the social settings of London, and the intervention and aftermath of World War I, The author, through research and interviews, reveals the modeling careers of four siblings known for their form and beauty. The fascinating story of the Avico sisters puts a face on the many anonymous women who inspired the art of early twentieth century London.

Amazon Customer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Amazing!
I know I am biased - the book also covers the lives of my mother and her sisters. However, the whole book is beautifully written, interesting to read and the quality of the paper and cover makes it a pleasure to hold.

Amazon Customer

This is a fascinating account of how ordinary women and girls were sought out by artists and asked to become models for them in the post-Edwardian era in London. Reminiscent of the ladies who inspired the pre-Raphaelites except that few if any of these new models were famous. Absolutely enthralling, and well illustrated too.

Read the full review here

Books Monthly