Michael Holroyd — Augustus John: The New Biography

Random House 1997 Paperback, 775pp. The revised and updated biography of the British painter, drawing on the mass of new material which has come to light since Holroyd's first edition in 1974, revealing the complete story of John and his circle, from one of the greatest modern biographers. Born in Tenby in 1878, Augustus John studied at the Slade with his sister Gwen, and in Paris. He lived a passionate and unruly life and died in 1961. Using new material, new correspondence and drawing on numerous new studies of Gwen John, Eplstein and others, Michael Holroyd can now tell the full and true stories behind the life of this archetypal bohemian and artist-reprobate. Proto-feminist subplots involving Gwen, Ida and Dorelia John (his wife) also bring the book thoroughly up to date for the 1990s reader. Pages foxing. (ISBN: 9780099333012). Good.