Ikon Vintage Publishing Muse

Muse: Uncovering the hidden figures behind art history's masterpieces.

Who was Picasso's 'Weeping Woman'? Why was Grace Jones covered in graffiti? How did Francis Bacon meet the burglar who became his muse? The perception of the muse is that of a passive, powerless model, at the mercy of an influential and older artist. But is this trope a romanticised myth? Far from posing silently, muses have brought emotional support, intellectual energy, career-changing creativity and practical help to artists. Muse  tells the true stories of the incredible muses who have inspired art history's masterpieces. From Leonardo da Vinci's studio to the covers of  Vogue , art historian, critic and writer Ruth Millington uncovers the remarkable role of muses in some of art history's most well-known and significant works. Delving into the real-life relationships that models have held with the artists who immortalised them, it will expose the influential and active part they have played and deconstruct reductive stereotypes, reframing the muse as a momentous and empowered agent of art history.

Hardback320 pagesIllustrated by Dina Razin

Meet the Maker:Ruth Millington is a Birmingham-based art critic and writer. After studying art history at Oxford University, Ruth worked in galleries for five years. Today, she writes about art for national newspapers, and appears as an expert on radio and TV. She writes an award-winning blog about Birmingham's artists, past and present and is a powerful advocate for the city.