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Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The lives and loves of Gwen and Augustus John
'Judith Mackrell has done an incredible job in bringing to life the stories of these two great artists' - Anthony D’Offay
'This is a must read . . . a deeply moving account of a family bursting with talent' - Anne Sebba
In Artists, Siblings, Visionaries, acclaimed biographer Judith Mackrell turns her attention to British brother and sister artists Gwen and Augustus John.
In many ways they were polar opposites.
Augustus was the larger of the two; vivid, volatile and promiscuous, he was a hero among romantics and bohemians, celebrated as one of the great British talents of his generation.
As a woman, Gwen's place in the art world was much smaller, and her private way of working and reserved nature meant it was only long after her death that her tremendous gifts were fully acknowledged. But her temperament was as turbulent as her brother's. She formed passionate attachments to men and woman, including a long affair with the sculptor Rodin.
And there were other ways in which the two Johns were remarkably alike, as Mackrell vividly reveals. The result is a powerful portrait of two prodigiously talented artists and visionaries, whose experiments with form and colour created some of the most memorable work of the early twentieth century.
'This is a must read . . . a deeply moving account of a family bursting with talent' - Anne Sebba
In Artists, Siblings, Visionaries, acclaimed biographer Judith Mackrell turns her attention to British brother and sister artists Gwen and Augustus John.
In many ways they were polar opposites.
Augustus was the larger of the two; vivid, volatile and promiscuous, he was a hero among romantics and bohemians, celebrated as one of the great British talents of his generation.
As a woman, Gwen's place in the art world was much smaller, and her private way of working and reserved nature meant it was only long after her death that her tremendous gifts were fully acknowledged. But her temperament was as turbulent as her brother's. She formed passionate attachments to men and woman, including a long affair with the sculptor Rodin.
And there were other ways in which the two Johns were remarkably alike, as Mackrell vividly reveals. The result is a powerful portrait of two prodigiously talented artists and visionaries, whose experiments with form and colour created some of the most memorable work of the early twentieth century.
589 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
31 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
About the author
Judith Mackrell
16 books39 followersJudith Mackrell is a writer and dance critic for the Guardian. She lives in London with her husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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April 25, 2026Oof. 86 pages in, and this book is full of fascinating stories, rich and vivid historical details and compelling emotional dynamics...
But I've had to set it aside, at least for a minute, because the entire Augustus John storyline (especially clearly shown in contrast to the arc of his equally gifted sister, who was otherwise so similar in so many ways) could be accurately subtitled: "How the patriarchy turns talented men into monsters," and I just feel so, so bad for every single woman in his adult path.
I will come back to this when I've had some time off to decompress, but OOF.
But I've had to set it aside, at least for a minute, because the entire Augustus John storyline (especially clearly shown in contrast to the arc of his equally gifted sister, who was otherwise so similar in so many ways) could be accurately subtitled: "How the patriarchy turns talented men into monsters," and I just feel so, so bad for every single woman in his adult path.
I will come back to this when I've had some time off to decompress, but OOF.
April 4, 2026
A well-written and engaging biography of these sibling artists, although I confess I don't particularly like either of them!
April 13, 2026
Don’t be put off by the length of this book. It is a biography of two artist siblings who lived and worked very different lives. This is a double biography but the author does a fabulous job of interweaving the two lives in chronological order. There is so much detail that is fascinating and at times I had forgotten which person was but I don’t think it matters in the end. I spent my time googling images as they were brought up. Both artists have left a great legacy. Gwen has maybe piqued the most interest as her life was fought for and so easily could have been lost. It is an astonishing tale of lives in the beginnings of the 20th Century - both of them were really pushing boundaries which were totally unacceptable even by today’s standards.
July 13, 2025
I'd come across the John siblings in other books as they were on the periphery of society, so it was great to read their stories. Gwen was so impressive in her commitment to art, Augustus on the other hand doesn't come across as a particularly good human being or particularly interesting artist.
April 20, 2026
I enjoyed and was was very entertained by this joint biography of Gwen John and August John. Siblings and artists that lived through many changes in society, the Great War and the rise of Facism, they both becamee superstars in their own right of the London Art Scene.
This account is very well written and pulls on alot of primary evidence including letters, journals and diaries. Despite this it reads easy and is entertaining in the mix of details and context that it gives the reader about these two artists.
QUOTES
“But the truth of a life is hard to excavate and even harder to judge - even those who knew the Johns well could struggle to decide whether they were admirable or awful. Augustus, with his reckless volatile passions, could be a danger to himself and to others, but to those who loved him he could also be a hero, a kind of visionary who saw his life in brighter, more exciting colours. Gwen, in her refusal to compromise her independence and her work, could equally be revered as a saint, yet to her family and friends she could also appear cranky, ruthless and even coldly ungenerous.
The one unarguable fact about the Johns, however, is the extraordinary journey they made: two shy and angry young teenagers who, without money or influence, made the world of art their own, and found distinction and acclaim."
“"Gus spent obedient hours in the galleries, but the abundance of art on the walls, the wealth of genius, was impossible to assimilate. He thought he should concentrate on one specific artist or school, but, lost between the luminous colours of Titian, the earthy physicality of Rembrandt, the quick-limbed grace of Watteau's figures and the
'voluptuous ghosts' of his favourite Pre-Raphaelite painters, he didn't know how to choose. Later, he would describe how he'd all but paralysed himself, 'loading my mind with a confusion of ideas which a lifetime hardly provides time to sort out'"
“"As he'd written in his memoir, it was that freedom which had allowed both him and Gwen to imagine other lives. The messages of earth and changing sky... the example of the nomads, our desultory but voracious reading and unfettered daydreams all conspired to stir up discontent and longing for a wider free world than that symbolically enclosed by Tenby's town walls; we craved for Art Liberty Life, perhaps Love!” And it was perhaps in their craving for those great, capitalized wonders, in their need to reach beyond their own limits, that the Johns were most alike as siblings. Even when Gus appeared to be squandering his talent, to be settling for the easiest options, he was still always reading and thinking, still mustering his hopes for the next epic work, the next pure
adventure. Equally, even when Gwen appeared to have withdrawn from her art “
This account is very well written and pulls on alot of primary evidence including letters, journals and diaries. Despite this it reads easy and is entertaining in the mix of details and context that it gives the reader about these two artists.
QUOTES
“But the truth of a life is hard to excavate and even harder to judge - even those who knew the Johns well could struggle to decide whether they were admirable or awful. Augustus, with his reckless volatile passions, could be a danger to himself and to others, but to those who loved him he could also be a hero, a kind of visionary who saw his life in brighter, more exciting colours. Gwen, in her refusal to compromise her independence and her work, could equally be revered as a saint, yet to her family and friends she could also appear cranky, ruthless and even coldly ungenerous.
The one unarguable fact about the Johns, however, is the extraordinary journey they made: two shy and angry young teenagers who, without money or influence, made the world of art their own, and found distinction and acclaim."
“"Gus spent obedient hours in the galleries, but the abundance of art on the walls, the wealth of genius, was impossible to assimilate. He thought he should concentrate on one specific artist or school, but, lost between the luminous colours of Titian, the earthy physicality of Rembrandt, the quick-limbed grace of Watteau's figures and the
'voluptuous ghosts' of his favourite Pre-Raphaelite painters, he didn't know how to choose. Later, he would describe how he'd all but paralysed himself, 'loading my mind with a confusion of ideas which a lifetime hardly provides time to sort out'"
“"As he'd written in his memoir, it was that freedom which had allowed both him and Gwen to imagine other lives. The messages of earth and changing sky... the example of the nomads, our desultory but voracious reading and unfettered daydreams all conspired to stir up discontent and longing for a wider free world than that symbolically enclosed by Tenby's town walls; we craved for Art Liberty Life, perhaps Love!” And it was perhaps in their craving for those great, capitalized wonders, in their need to reach beyond their own limits, that the Johns were most alike as siblings. Even when Gus appeared to be squandering his talent, to be settling for the easiest options, he was still always reading and thinking, still mustering his hopes for the next epic work, the next pure
adventure. Equally, even when Gwen appeared to have withdrawn from her art “
April 25, 2026
There are already biographies of Augustus and Gwen John, but 'Artists, Siblings, Visionaries' presents the Johns' art, lives and loves together for the first time. This approach provides a valuable tool for comparing and contrasting their art and examining the difficulties of their relationship - and, I think, helps to set them both firmly in the artistic context of their age. Perhaps because of the dual nature of the book, after Gwen's death in 1939, a single chapter takes us to the end of Augustus' life in 1961. By the end (and it has taken me some time to read the book), I had spent so long in their company, that I was reluctant to leave them.
With such positive comments, why the slow progress? A significant factor is the picture section - and not in a good way.
A real cause of frustration (and one which could so easily have been remedied) was the lack of plate numbers and references to them in the text, leading to frequent scrolling through the picture section, only to find that the work of art concerned wasn't included. Admittedly, this became less of a problem as I progressed through the book, since I gained familiarity with selected images with every repetition of the process.
The footnotes were also a little unconventional. The numbered footnotes themselves contained source references only and not additional information about a person, painting etc. Instead, the availability of extra detail was indicated by an asterisk. This dual system had the advantage of making it clear whether you would find a source reference or further explanation, but, as one asterisk looks like another, some searching could be required once in the appropriate section of the book, whereas the numbered references were immediately identifiable.
These niggles aside, I enjoyed learning about the two artistic John siblings. I shall undoubtedly be reading more about them - and searching out their works in galleries. A trip to Cardiff seems in order...
With such positive comments, why the slow progress? A significant factor is the picture section - and not in a good way.
A real cause of frustration (and one which could so easily have been remedied) was the lack of plate numbers and references to them in the text, leading to frequent scrolling through the picture section, only to find that the work of art concerned wasn't included. Admittedly, this became less of a problem as I progressed through the book, since I gained familiarity with selected images with every repetition of the process.
The footnotes were also a little unconventional. The numbered footnotes themselves contained source references only and not additional information about a person, painting etc. Instead, the availability of extra detail was indicated by an asterisk. This dual system had the advantage of making it clear whether you would find a source reference or further explanation, but, as one asterisk looks like another, some searching could be required once in the appropriate section of the book, whereas the numbered references were immediately identifiable.
These niggles aside, I enjoyed learning about the two artistic John siblings. I shall undoubtedly be reading more about them - and searching out their works in galleries. A trip to Cardiff seems in order...
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
2026 Women's Prize for Non-fiction Shortlist 3/6
I was completely unaware of either artist until this dual biography appeared on the Longlist for the Women's Prize this year. I actually only picked it up to read it because it made the Shortlist, which surprised me.
Even though the writing lacks the narrative embellishments I'd normally associate with contemporary eye catching biography, the details of the unconventional lives of this brother and sister are compelling enough to make this a fabulously interesting read.
It is dense, and dry in parts, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the fortnight of googling and mapping it has prompted.
I'm inclined to side eye Gus's legacy. What a rascal. How I worry for the women and many, many children in his life. My sympathies lie more with Gwen, but I wouldn't have wanted to know her either.
They were products of their time and of their tragic childhood. My ears may prick when their names come up in future, now that I have some context for their art, but what a sad outcome that Gwen's art deprived her of a life, and Guses life choices squandered his artistic talent.
I was completely unaware of either artist until this dual biography appeared on the Longlist for the Women's Prize this year. I actually only picked it up to read it because it made the Shortlist, which surprised me.
Even though the writing lacks the narrative embellishments I'd normally associate with contemporary eye catching biography, the details of the unconventional lives of this brother and sister are compelling enough to make this a fabulously interesting read.
It is dense, and dry in parts, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the fortnight of googling and mapping it has prompted.
I'm inclined to side eye Gus's legacy. What a rascal. How I worry for the women and many, many children in his life. My sympathies lie more with Gwen, but I wouldn't have wanted to know her either.
They were products of their time and of their tragic childhood. My ears may prick when their names come up in future, now that I have some context for their art, but what a sad outcome that Gwen's art deprived her of a life, and Guses life choices squandered his artistic talent.
April 10, 2026
3.5 stars
I was not aware of Gwen and Augustus John before this book so I was looking forward to finding out more about them. Prior to reading it, I thought these were artists from the 1700-1800s, not ones that died in the mid 20th Century. I don't know Judith's background but I assume she has experience in art, but either way this is phenomenally researched. At times it felt like there was too much information, which I know sounds weird in a biography but there was a lot to take in. It is a long book, and I think possibly too long, especially for the reader to keep adequate focus. It's done what a biography should do which is pique my interest to find out more. It's an engaging piece of writing but I can't say I liked the siblings. Her a bit more, but felt very unlikeable, and I felt it was overbalanced in his favour and I'd have wished a bit more about her. But overall it was fresh and interesting, well researched and well written, just a tad too long with a slightly waning focus.
I was not aware of Gwen and Augustus John before this book so I was looking forward to finding out more about them. Prior to reading it, I thought these were artists from the 1700-1800s, not ones that died in the mid 20th Century. I don't know Judith's background but I assume she has experience in art, but either way this is phenomenally researched. At times it felt like there was too much information, which I know sounds weird in a biography but there was a lot to take in. It is a long book, and I think possibly too long, especially for the reader to keep adequate focus. It's done what a biography should do which is pique my interest to find out more. It's an engaging piece of writing but I can't say I liked the siblings. Her a bit more, but felt very unlikeable, and I felt it was overbalanced in his favour and I'd have wished a bit more about her. But overall it was fresh and interesting, well researched and well written, just a tad too long with a slightly waning focus.
April 13, 2026
A fascinating and detailed read about the lives of the artists Gwen John and her brother Augustus John. Both incredibly talented, it was interesting to discover how their techniques developed over time and the influences that made an impression on their work. Neither of them appear to have been very nice people though. Seemingly indifferent to the impact their behaviour might have on others - Gwen an intense introvert and Gus a philandering, heavy-drinking extrovert. While the detail was fascinating, it also made it a little tedious at times and at one point I also gave up for a lighter read. But I learnt much about the artists I didn’t know before. It’s a shame the pictures didn’t reproduce in the Kindle edition.
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.
July 31, 2025
An engaging account of the lives and loves of Gwen John and her brother Augustus. Augustus as a man, was inevitably the larger of the siblings and was celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest talents. Gwen however, was an exceptionally talented artist, even though she didn’t receive the same acknowledgment in her lifetime. This is a powerful portrait of the sibling’s relationship, their life, loves and art.
April 7, 2026
I found this a bit of a slog to read. Augustus John had the usual personality traits of a male artist of his time. Hence, his story is rather tedious. I felt like the book was imbalanced as a result, and not enough was said about Gwen John, who was considered the more talented artist.
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March 15, 2026Love her work. Fascinating story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews