{"product_id":"beryl-cook-life-and-art-9781805702627","title":"Beryl Cook: Life and Art","description":"\u003cb\u003eDiscover the real Beryl Cook through a wealth of newly unearthed material that brings fresh insight to this beloved artist. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBeryl Cook (1926-2008) was renowned for her exuberant paintings yet she remained a famously private figure. Now, thanks to unprecedented access to a recently rediscovered family archive, a fuller picture of Beryl emerges. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis illustrated volume shares images many of which have \u003cb\u003enever been published before\u003c\/b\u003e. Thousands of\u003cb\u003e letters, photographs, and personal papers \u003c\/b\u003efound in the attic reveal the networks of friends, family, business partners, and creative collaborators who shaped her career. Correspondence with figures such as photographer Barbara Ker-Seymer, art critic Edward Lucie-Smith, and drag artist Ruby Venezuela captures the lively, witty world she inhabited, while hundreds of fan letters show how deeply her work resonated with those who felt unseen, from \u003cb\u003emiddle-aged women to LGBTQ+ and working-class communities. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAlongside this treasure trove of material, the book offers new insight into Beryl's \u003cb\u003emethods and inspiration\u003c\/b\u003e, shedding light on the private technique behind her unmistakable style. We meet her family and pets and follow her through her adored hometown streets. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePublished at a moment of renewed interest in her art, this biography forms part of an \u003cb\u003eoverdue reassessment\u003c\/b\u003e that places Beryl beyond the limiting label of 'naive', acknowledging both her skill and her deep empathy for those she depicted. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis book offers the most vivid and intimate picture yet of a singular artist, carrying with it a large amount of leopard print and dollops of saucy humor.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Frances Lincoln\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781805702627\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 2.31lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.90h x 7.73w x 0.91d","brand":"Hilary Bracegirdle","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52933853708469,"sku":"9781805702627","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_5ccdd90c-812d-405a-bbf6-6a7f258cbbd5.jpg?v=1785908118","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/beryl-cook-life-and-art-9781805702627","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}