A long-overdue biography and rediscovery of John Nash, Paul's brother and a major 20th-century British artist in his own right.
John Nash was a highly versatile artist who combined acute observation with a strong, individual vision to create unique depictions of the British landscape and some of the most iconic paintings of the First World War. Held in the highest regard as a painter by fellow artists from the Edwardian era to the 1970s, but often overlooked since, his earliest artistic network included his brother Paul, Walter Sickert, Spencer Gore, Harold Gilman, Charles Ginner and Dora Carrington. In the 1930s he was close to Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden and his post-war intimates included Cedric Morris, Carel Weight and Peter Coker.
John Nash: The Landscape of Love and Solace explores Nash’s personal and professional relationships, and in particular the unconventional life he shared with his wife, Christine Kühlenthal, and they with their many ‘outside loves’. Remarkable in her own right, Christine’s influence was critical to Nash’s art during a long marriage of shared joys mixed with periods of distance and sadness. Their life story is an extraordinary one, touched by many hitherto untold events. Drawing on original research and beautifully illustrated, this long-overdue biography, the first comprehensive picture of John Nash and his work, offers a compelling narrative, embracing love, tragedy and the pursuit of solace.
