
The Lost Mother
A Story of Art and Love
Anne Summers(Author)
Melbourne University Press
Published on 1. July 2009
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-522-85635-4 (ISBN)
Description
My mother had just turned ten in mid-1933 when a young woman approached her as they were both leaving Mass at St Joan of Arc's in Brighton...The woman was an artist and she would like to paint her portrait...
After her mother's death in 2005, Anne Summers inherits a portrait of her mother as a child. Mesmerised by this image, she finds herself drawn into the story of how the portrait was painted and eventually found its way into her family. She soon learns the artist painted another portrait of her mother; this time as the Madonna.
In a gripping narrative that is part art history, part detective story and part meditation on the relations between mothers and daughters, Anne's search for the Madonna painting and the mysterious Russian emigre collector who bought both paintings takes her down unexpected paths. Her search soon turns into a parallel quest to rescue Constance Stokes, the artist, from obscurity, and to learn why the collector suddenly abandoned the paintings. Along the way Anne finds she must face the truth of the relationship she had with her mother.
In turn hypnotic and moving, The Lost Mother is a powerful exploration of art, loss and love.
After her mother's death in 2005, Anne Summers inherits a portrait of her mother as a child. Mesmerised by this image, she finds herself drawn into the story of how the portrait was painted and eventually found its way into her family. She soon learns the artist painted another portrait of her mother; this time as the Madonna.
In a gripping narrative that is part art history, part detective story and part meditation on the relations between mothers and daughters, Anne's search for the Madonna painting and the mysterious Russian emigre collector who bought both paintings takes her down unexpected paths. Her search soon turns into a parallel quest to rescue Constance Stokes, the artist, from obscurity, and to learn why the collector suddenly abandoned the paintings. Along the way Anne finds she must face the truth of the relationship she had with her mother.
In turn hypnotic and moving, The Lost Mother is a powerful exploration of art, loss and love.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Carlton
Australia
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 204 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
476 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-522-85635-4 (9780522856354)
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
Person
Anne Summers is the author of Damned Whores and God's Police, Gamble for Power, Ducks on the Pond and The End of Equality, among other books. She has edited the landmark American feminist magazine Ms. and Good Weekend as well as writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review and numerous other publications. She has been an advisor to prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, chaired the Board of Greenpeace International and been Deputy President of Sydney's Powerhouse Museum. She lives in Sydney. Her website is www.annesummers.com.au