Author Description

A stunning novel of artist and muse, of love and ambition from the critically acclaimed novelist Matthew Plampin. `Maud could tell the whole story, but she will not.' 1876 On the wet cobbled streets of Chelsea, London harassed artist Jimmy Whistler argues with his client. The argument: that Mr Whistler's two peacocks that now adorn Mr Leyland's dining room, are to one man a disgrace and to the other, a masterpiece. Stuck in the middle is the one person who knows the artist, his creative vision and his soul more than any other, his model, his lover, Miss Maud Franklin. We follow Maud, a young artist herself who must play the part of wife in the life of a painter crippled by rumours and debts. But it's only a part, no muse ever had the rights of a wife... A beautiful and compelling blend of naivety and strength, Maud is an irresistible character spinning through a world of beauty and sacrifice, art and ambition.