Gwen John was an artist with a singular vision, one whose intense gaze produced some of the most beguiling and atmospheric paintings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Often unfairly thought of as a recluse, this concise survey of her life and work places her at the artistic heart of London and Paris.

"From London in the 1890s to Paris during the early decades of the twentieth century, Gwen John's career spanned one of the most exciting periods in cultural history. Rather than reiterating the myth of Gwen John as a recluse, this new survey places the artist at the centre of the cities where she worked in order to appreciate her art in its context, and explore the alliances and differences the artist had with her contemporaries."--BOOK JACKET. "Gwen John's representation of the female nude, her paintings of interiors and the effect of her Catholic faith on her work are all considered. The author also discusses the key relationship between Gwen John's position as a woman artist and her life-long fascination with the portrayal of the female sitter."--BOOK JACKET.