The best of these Darwins is that they are cut out of rock - three taps is enough to convince one how immense is their solidarity. So wrote Virginia Woolf affectionately of Gwen Raverat; the granddaughter of Charles Darwin. In this first full biography; Frances Spalding looks beyond the artist Gwen Raverats childhood memoir; Period Piece; and creates a fascinating and moving portrait of Charles Darwins granddaughter. She explores her Darwin inheritance; her conflicts when she moves beyond her home environment to enter the Slade School of Art; her encounter with post-Impressionism; and her friendships with Stanley Spencer; Rupert Brooke and members of the Bloomsbury set. At each stage; Gwens artistic creativity is interwoven with her relationships and circumstances. She helps revive the medium of wood-engraving and with her husband; Jacques Raverat; celebrates the South of France in the art they produce while living in Venice. Drawing on a huge cache of unpublished papers; Spalding brings us a life lived with bravery; humour; realism and integrity; surrounded by a remarkable cast of relatives; friends and associates.
#734694 in eBooks 2004-09-15 2004-09-15File Name: B003ZX7V3I
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Very readable. well-researched bookBy lucien cThe author recreates the ambiance of pre-WW 1 Europe. specially the Paris frequented by expatriate American writers. painters and poets. Always in a good-humoured way. but revealing extreme attention to details and preocupation with accuracy in every aspect. she gains the readers respect and interest. A very good book by all standards. Lucien Castier3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Very detailed book about a fascinating woman.By Meghan McKey ForseSometimes in reading this book I try to imagine how on earth the author organized all this minutiae about a womans life from so many sources of personal recounts of events and jaded observations to assemble this book. Yet this minutiae is what makes it fascinating. I feel like a sleazy voyeur into her crazy life.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It was boring and I just couldnt finish itBy Bookie as in loves booksI could have been 150 less pages. It was boring and I just couldnt finish it. My time is worth more than reading boring books
