
Artists, Siblings, Visionaries
The lives and loves of Gwen and Augustus John
Judith Mackrell(Author)
Picador (Publisher)
Published on 19. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
448 pages
978-1-5290-9588-3 (ISBN)
Description
Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction
An insightful dual biography of brother and sister artists Gwen and Augustus John.
'Outstanding' - The Guardian
'Superb' - The Telegraph
'A must read' - Anne Sebba
'Lively' - The Times
They seemed to be polar opposites . . .
Augustus: vivid, volatile and promiscuous. He was a hero among romantics and bohemians, celebrated as one of the great British talents of his generation.
Gwen's art was magnificent, but she was also more reserved, and as a woman she struggled for the recognition which has only come to her now, years after her death.
Artists, Siblings, Visionaries by Judith Mackrell is a riveting story of love, infidelity, betrayal, and of two extraordinary siblings whose art and lives subverted society's expectations.
An insightful dual biography of brother and sister artists Gwen and Augustus John.
'Outstanding' - The Guardian
'Superb' - The Telegraph
'A must read' - Anne Sebba
'Lively' - The Times
They seemed to be polar opposites . . .
Augustus: vivid, volatile and promiscuous. He was a hero among romantics and bohemians, celebrated as one of the great British talents of his generation.
Gwen's art was magnificent, but she was also more reserved, and as a woman she struggled for the recognition which has only come to her now, years after her death.
Artists, Siblings, Visionaries by Judith Mackrell is a riveting story of love, infidelity, betrayal, and of two extraordinary siblings whose art and lives subverted society's expectations.
Reviews / Votes
Judith Mackrell has done an incredible job in bringing to life the stories of these two great artists -- Anthony D'Offay This dream of a book lures us back to that most fascinating world, that of Gwen and Augustus John -- Louisa Young author of <i>Twelve Months and a Day</i> This is a must read . . . a deeply moving account of a family bursting with talent -- Anne Sebba, author of <i>The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz</i> Wonderfully conjures the siblings' radical lives and the changing world they inhabited . . . Judith Mackrell's splendid double biography, does full justice to each of these prodigious talents * Financial Times * Superb . . . a fine portrait of these two artists -- Oliver Soden * Daily Telegraph * Outstanding . . . Mackrell approaches her subjects with an almost novelistic sensibility -- Jonathan Jones * The Guardian * Absorbing . . . Mackrell says in her opening pages, if Gus and Gwen were 'admirable or awful'. By the end of this haunting book they seem admirable in their awfulness -- Frances Wilson * The Spectator * A thoroughly researched and effortlessly written account of the extraordinary lives of Augustus and Gwen John, encompassing painting, of course, but also obsessive love, infidelity, betrayal, family, sibling rivalry and relationships, and how they both subverted society's expectations. A fantastic read - the pages virtually turned themselves -- Fanny Blake Lively . . . nuanced * The Times * Mackrell is skilled at suspenseful structuring. The stories of their lives play out like a moralising Victorian tale, Augustus appearing to take the broad and easy way while Gwen, on the narrow path, finds greater artistic rewards . . . compelling. -- Tanya Harrod * Literary Review *More details
Edition
Main Market Ed
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
332 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5290-9588-3 (9781529095883)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2025
Picador
€18.49
Available for download
Person
Judith Mackrell is a celebrated dance critic, writing first for The Independent and now for The Guardian. Her biography of the Russian ballerina Lydia Lopokova, Bloomsbury Ballerina, was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award. She has also appeared on television and radio, as well as writing on dance, co-authoring The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. She lives in London with her family. She is the author of Artists, Siblings, Visionaries.