I was in the mood for a palette-cleanser read, so had a look for a more gentle-in-theme book and my attention was caught by the winner of the Waterstones debut prize for fiction 2025, The Artist by Lucy Steed. As you may imagine, this novel does indeed follow the story of an artist, more than one, in fact.
Opening sentence(s): A woman. A painting. The sense of greeting an old friend.
Let’s take a trip to France
The Artist transports us to the lush French countryside in 1920, when a young Englishman, Joseph finds himself trekking to the remote farmhouse of renowned, but very private, French painter, Edouard Tartuffle.
Before you Google it (like I did) he is a fictional painter, but other characters in the novel are based on real people, so that’s what makes it very intriguing read.
Here was the man who could create beauty from nothing. Here was an artist who has dined with Van Gogh and argued with Cezanne.
Tartuffle is know as Tata by his niece, Ettie, who he lives with. She keeps his life in order and is his only real connection with civilisation (aside from meetings with his art dealer). Tata refuses all press and interviews, so the fact he let Joseph, a stranger, come to his home for such an insight into how he works is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
Joseph works for an art magazine and has been tasked with writing a world-first article about Tata. The artist only allows Joseph to stay when he realises he is the perfect model for his next painting. Jospeh uses his time wisely, he is determined to crack Tata’s walls and get to know the real man, find out what inspires his art.
This set-up creates a very interesting dynamic between the men, but what was more interesting to me, was the relationship Ettie has with both men. She is a character with secrets that slowly get revealed, making her, to me, the most intriguing person of the whole book.
For just as Tata is painting a portrait of Joseph, so Joseph is creating a portrait of Tata.
We also learn more about Joseph’s life back in England and what he left behind. The ravages of the (recently ended) First World War are explored, as well as women’s rights and role in society.
The atmosphere through the novel is hot and repressed, but also hopeful and tinged with suspense. This blend means you just know something is brewing and that keeps you hooked. Just because the pace of The Artist is gentle, it doesn’t mean the story isn’t gripping. I’d often find myself wondering what was next for Joseph and Ettie and loved the progression of their stories.
- Get your copy of The Artist here;
- Published by John Murray 2025;
- 327 pages;
- Book review rating:
