Girl in a Green Gown: The History and Mystery of the Arnolfini Portrait

Description

A fascinating exploration of one our best loved paintings, and the strange, dramatic history of its owners through time with a foreword by Grayson Perry. WITH A FOREWORD BY GRAYSON PERRY Carola Hicks sets out to solve the mystery of one of art history's greatest paintings, The Arnolfini Portrait The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck in 1434 hangs in the National Gallery in London and remains a mystery to this day. Is the painting of the girl in the green gown the celebration of marriage or pregnancy, a memorial to a wife who died in childbirth, a fashion statement or a status symbol? Using her acclaimed forensic skills as an art historian, Carola Hicks set out to decode the mystery of one the most enigmatic paintings in the western art. 'This book will send you back to the National Gallery with much sharper eyes' Independent on Sunday

Carola Hicks, an acclaimed art historian, and witty, perceptive writer, died in 2010 just as she was finishing this book. Born in Sussex, Carola studied archaeology at Edinburgh University, and was an actress, journalist and House of Commons Researcher, before taking up an academic career. For several years she was curator of the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral, and then became a Fellow and Director of Studies in art history at Newnham College, Cambridge. Her books include Animals in Early Medieval Art, Improper Pursuits- The Scandalous Life of Lady Di Beauclerk, and two fine 'biographies' of works of art- The Bayeux Tapestry- The Life Story of a Masterpiece and The King's Glass- A Story of Tudor Power and Secret Art.

I was bowled over... It is a book of page-turning vignettes * Daily Telegraph * Exploring the double portrait in revelatory detail, Hicks presents a truly inspiring picture of her own * The Times * The book has sent me back to the painting...with wider and more inquisitive eyes -- Peter Conrad * Observer * An author who opens our eyes, deepens our understanding and makes us keen to look again -- Frances Spalding * Daily Mail * Hicks tells a truly fascinating story about image and ownership, based on diligent, well-digested research -- Vera Ryan * Irish Times *