The Home of the Surrealists: Lee Miller, Roland Penrose and their Circle at Farley Farm

by Antony Penrose, Alen MacWeeney (Photographer)

Written by Anthony Penrose, son of American photographer and feminist icon Lee Miller and British artist Roland Penrose, this work provides a personal insight into their life together at Farley Farm, Sussex where they played host to some of the greatest 20th-century artists.

Genres: Art, Biography, History, Biography Memoir

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2007

About the author

Antony Penrose was born on 9 September 1947 in the London Clinic, central London. He is the son of Lee Miller, a model, fine art photographer and noted war correspondent, and Sir Roland Penrose, the surrealist artist, poet and biographer of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Man Ray, and Antoni Tàpies, who co-founded the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in 1947.

Reviews

[Porkyhauntus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up in a charity shop for £3 and having devoured it overnight would gladly have paid full price.
I had no comprehension of how important Roland and Lee were and was really pleased to learn of their stories and the circles they moved in. Their tale moved me to tears as it drew to a conclusion, and beyond. The book is a treasure trove of information on art history of the period and its protagonists, and I spent as long on my iPad chasing down images and facts to flesh out the stories as I did reading the book.
I can hardly wait for the film "Lee"to be released.
I scarcely read non-fiction but this might change my habits.

[Olive Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came back to finish this needing a bit of inspiration and comfort, and now my need to visit the cottage is rekindled. The lives of this set of people are very dear to me, I think of them often <3

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A co-biography of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, Antony Penrose's parents with plenty of interesting anecdotes. Lee Miller's eye was used by Man Ray in "Object to be Destroyed," 1928, the metronome with eye attached; her lips are depicted in his painting of 1934, "Observatory Time – The Lovers." Her portrait was also painted by Picasso. There is a photograph of Miller during her time as a war correspondent, taken in Hitler's bathtub in 1945.

Many of Roland Penrose's artworks are depicted, including his postcard collages, as well as paintings he made directly on the walls of Farley Farm. Much of this work is interpreted in relation to what was going on at the time.

Since Antony Penrose was an observer and participant for much of this story, this is a more intimate point of view than other biographies.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lavishly illustrated, dual biography of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose ... centered on their home, Farley Farm, Chiddlingly, which was opened hospitably to almost all of the Surrealists, such as Picasso, Max Ernst, etc. ... written by their only child, Antony Penrose ...

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having visited Farley Farm and toured the house during the Brighton Festival this lavishly and loving illustrated book written by Anthony Penrose, son of Roland Penrose and Lee Miller was a must. Full of insider knowledge, it is nevertheless objective about the family travails and lifestyle. It explains the careers of Roland and Lee and their involvement with many of the Surrealist artists before their eventual marriage and their move to East Sussex in 1949. Frequented by the likes of Picasso, Ernst and Miro, Anthony gives his own insight into growing up there and his not always easy relationship with his parents. The rooms are full of art, sculptures and photos and are a living memorial to the creativity of those who lived there. The house is hidden treasure well encapsulated by this book.