Jeremy Lewison – författare

Paul Huxley RA (b.1938) has enjoyed a distinguished career both as a painter and a teacher. Huxley's fascinating artistic life, expertly surveyed by Jeremy Lewison, is at last given the attention that it deserves in this, the first monograph on the artist.Huxley's early interest in abstraction chimed with the dynamism that pulsed through London's art scene in the 1960s. Recognised as a new talent by pioneering curator Bryan Robertson, Huxley enjoyed early success in exhibitions including The New Generation, which opened at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1964. Building from this positive critical reception, and immersing himself in the vibrant artistic communities of London and New York, Huxley built a career characterised by an instinct to push boundaries and find new ways to advance the language of abstract painting. Constantly evolving, the artist's rich body of work, highlights of which are presented here, stands as testament to a life committed to tirelessly investigating and challenging form, space and colour.

Though little known outside her native country, Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946) is one of Finland's best-loved artists. Her career, which stretched from the late 1870s to the end of the Second World War, encompassed both Impressionism and Modernism. This book records an exhibition that marks the first time her works have been seen in the UK since she exhibited in London herself in 1890. It presents the full range of her exceptional paintings and drawings, with 70 works in all genres, including portrait, landscape and still-life.Schjerfbeck's technique, her social and cultural context and her legacy are all examined in depth by the authors. The book also explores the role of the masquerade in Schjerfbeck's work, and the impact of old-master paintings on her practice.