The Artist: Die Farben des Lichts

by Lucy Steeds

Jahrelang hat sie ihr Geheimnis gehütet ...

WATERSTONES DEBUT PRIZE 2025

THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2025 (Longlist) 

BARNES & NOBLE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 (Shortlist)




»Ein fulminantes Buch, poetisch, leidenschaftlich und mit sanfter, tiefer Kraft erzählt.« Daily Mail

Provence, um 1920. Für Joseph Adelaide ist die Einladung die Chance seines Er wird Edouard Tartuffe interviewen, der seit Jahren die Öffentlichkeit scheut. In dem abgelegenen Landhaus erwartet den Journalisten jedoch eine Überraschung. Denn nur solange Joseph dem weltberühmten Maler Modell sitzt, darf er bleiben und über ihn schreiben.

In der flirrenden Sommerhitze erkennt Joseph bald, dass das größte Rätsel nicht der »Meister des Lichts« ist, sondern Tartuffes Nichte. Ettie kocht, wäscht Pinsel und erträgt Tartuffes Launen mit unergründlicher Hingabe. Doch etwas brodelt in ihr. Joseph fühlt sich immer mehr zu ihr hingezogen. Und langsam, Schicht für Schicht wie in einem Gemälde, kommt ihr Geheimnis ans Licht …




»Die am meisten gelobte Debütautorin des Jahres […] Das sinnliche, berauschend duftende Porträt eines monströsen männlichen Egos und einer übersehenen Frau.« The Telegraph

»Raffiniert und kraftvoll erzählt […] Ein äußerst gelungenes Porträt von Ehrgeiz und Selbstverwirklichung.« The Guardian

»Ein wildromantischer, sonnendurchfluteter, geheimnisvoller Roman über die gewaltige Macht wahrer Kunst. Dieser Roman wird Sie im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes sehnsüchtig zurücklassen.« Yael van der Wouden, Gewinnerin des Women's Prize for Fiction 2025

»Eine mitreißende, poetische Lektüre.« Mail on Sunday

»Fesselnd […] mit einer Bildsprache von der Üppigkeit eines Ölgemäldes.« Washington Post

 »Lucy Steeds ist eine Autorin, die man im Auge behalten muss.« The Times, Best Historical Fiction of 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Art, Historical, Romance, France, Literary Fiction

366 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 30, 2025

Reviews

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a book written by your sister is strange, not because it's clear she's a genius (I already knew that), but because of how familiar it all feels. It's Lucy in a book, from the woman creating something amazing in secret just to prove she can, to the long odes to wild boar. I love it, and her :)

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gonna take this opportunity to say that one of my absolute favourite artists, Maisie Peters, just released her new album Florescence and it is stunning.

My favourites are: Flat Earther, Old Fashioned, Questions, You Then Me Now, Nothing Like Being in Love, You You You, Houses (oh fuck, I literally love the whole album).

*****

Ettie has learned to be patient. She has spent her life waiting just out of sight, out of reach. She will wait to see how this tale unfolds, how the pieces fall into place.
She will wait to see what happens.

This book was a gift which I've been holding onto for a while now, mostly because it is tagged as "romance", which is not typically my genre of choice. However, having now read it, I'd say that the romance is a subplot in what is actually a novel about suppressed female genius and the lack of spaces for women to foster their creativity in the early 20th century.

The story's two perspectives are that of Joseph, an aspiring journalist sent to Provence to write an article about the reclusive painter Edouard Tartuffe, and Tartuffe's niece Ettie, the quiet housekeeper and assistant to the artist.

Ettie lives in the shadows; a silent mouse, unseen and unheard. She cleans Tartuffe's brushes, orders his canvases, negotiates the selling of his paintings, all while the master himself throws fits of temper in between working on his art.

You can infer a lot from that, which is fine. It's not a novel that relies on twists and reveals.

Instead it's a psychological novel with a focus on character interiority, so there's not much in the way of external drama. But I still found it powerful and engaging. Scenes often hinge on shifts in perception—how a character interprets an interaction, revises a memory, or rethinks their own ambitions. Ettie notes early on that Joseph is asking the "wrong questions", something which will turn out to be true in numerous ways.

The frustrations of women held back, kept behind volatile men who are praised for their genius, felt very real and suffocating. Another major theme is challenging the stereotype of great art being naturally linked to instability, cruelty, and emotional chaos. Western culture's depiction of harmful behaviour as evidence of depth or talent is a truly damaging idea— one which excuses abusive behaviour because they're an artist.

It is a quietly satisfying character study that evolves into a love story. Also, and this is not something I note usually, but Steeds writes with such a richly sensuous attention to detail that made even peaches and oranges jump off the page. Have black and white pages ever held so much colour?

[Magdalena (magdal21) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book—layered, deep, and beautifully written. A must-read for 2025. The Artist is a story set in 1920 France, told from two perspectives: Joseph, a young British journalist who arrives in a Provençal village to write an article about a renowned yet enigmatic painter, Eduard Tartuffe, and Ettie, the painter’s niece, who has spent her entire life serving both his work and Tartuffe himself. Ettie is quiet and withdrawn, unfamiliar with the world, and has never received a formal education. Yet, over time, Joseph begins to realize that the greatest mystery of the small Provençal cottage isn't really the reclusive painter but a woman living under the same roof.

I must start by saying that this book is a must-read not only for art lovers but also for those seeking a deep sensory experience—you can literally feel the scent of the Provençal summer, see the colors of the paintings, taste the food, and experience the emotions the characters are going through. This is truly the fantastic value of this novel.

The book includes a mystery element, but the author doesn't aim to shock the reader—we can guess what’s really happening from the early pages. The real goal is to accompany the characters as they discover themselves, learn what art means to them, and understand how much they are willing to sacrifice to feel free and break away from the hardships of the past. Getting to know the characters and following their growth is really the essence of this story, with everything else serving as a tool to achieve this goal. That being said, it doesn't mean that the book can't surprise you. When I first picked up this novel, I expected a well-written but fairly simple story about an artist and a young man admiring his work, with the rest being secondary details. However, the author took the plot in a less obvious direction. With each page, I became more convinced that this is, above all, Ettie's story.

What particularly moved me in this book was the depiction of the experience of the Great War—so different for Ettie and Joseph, yet deeply traumatic for both. The psychological trauma following this conflict is a topic of interest to me, and I greatly appreciate how the shadow of war added an additional layer to the already complex experiences of the main characters.

I highly recommend this book and eagerly anticipate the author’s future works, as she shows great potential in the historical fiction genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

HARD stop at calling this a romance. Saw someone say it was a slow burn romance. Spare me 🤦🏻‍♀️

This is about art, its creators, all under the shadow of war. You can literally feel the artwork as Steed describes everything so vividly, without sounding too complex. You can taste and smell the rotting fruit as it’s being drawn.

So happy I found this book.

After two mediocre reads, quite frankly getting annoyed by quite a few. I’ve decided to start with Booker lists, Women’s Prizes, etc. I have not been let down since starting books with actual substance.

[Kate W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A luminous story of seeing and being seen. You can almost taste the peaches and honey, almost touch the thick paint and sweating skin. A joy to read with a cracking, crackling end.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW 😯 what a phenomenal debut 👏🏽

I bought this book purely because it won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2025, and I was curious to see what the hype was about. Now, having read it, I can TOTALLY understand why it won 🥇

From beginning to end, this is a vivid and lyrical exploration of the value of art. The storyline focuses on a mysterious painter, a young journalist, and the artist’s niece. Steeds’ sets a rich, atmospheric scene in the sticky heat of sun-soaked 1920s Provence, Southern France...However, what we gain from this beautiful novel is so much more than a simple entertainment. Steeds’ questions how art seeks to open a window into human existence and to bring perspective, freedom, and light to an otherwise dull and dark existence…

"Yet while his paintings reject categorisation, critics are united on one thing: Edouard Tartuffe is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. He is the Master of Light.” 🕯️🎨 🙌🏽

This was an utterly fantastic read. It was a beautiful written, multi-layered, and insightful piece of art in its own right. I want to clarify that this is not only a must-read for art lovers, rather for everyone. I don’t know much about art but this book is about much more than a painting or two. It has an incredible depth, an extraordinary power of transporting you to that Provençal summer. The narrative is intensely sensory allowing readers to fully experience the colours of the landscape, the smells of the market, the taste of the food. Meanwhile, there is also a strong sense of mystery lacing each and every page. As the story develops, the puzzle only becomes more complex. We experience each of the characters emotions first hand creating a turbulent whirlwind of a story. MY MIND IS BLOWN 🤯 - truly captivating stuff!

I want to be careful with my choice of words from here as I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone…

The Artist tells the story of Edouard Tartuffe, a renowned but reclusive and excentric painter, who is disturbed by the arrival of Joseph, an aspiring British journalist set on penning a piece on him, and the artist’s seemingly unworldly niece Ettie who harbours an explosive secret. Joseph’s interview comes at the cost of becoming Tartuffe’s latest model. However, the true heart of the story is the awakening of Ettie…mystery blends with slow-burning romance

Tartuffe is an incredibly mysterious and interesting character. He is content one moment, thunderous the next. There are bursts of good humour followed by long silences and sudden explosions. He is an ever-changing storm. But he is more than that. He is a cruel, sexist, ruthless man. I rarely hate characters, but I truly despised this man, more and more as the story continued 😡

Then we have Joseph; the opposite to Tartuffe in so many ways. He is quiet, gentle, inquisitive, curious, and charming. I could see myself falling in love with a man like Joseph 😅

My sweet sweet Ettie. I didn’t know what to make of her at first. When we first meet her, she comes across as a very cautious young woman. She makes appear standoffish, but truth is she has never known how to forge a connection with another person. She’s never been allowed the opportunity. So she watches Joseph from a distance, cold and lonely with longing. She keeps her feelings (and secrets) close to her heart…💖

"She was trapped in a house with a man who tied her down with invisible ropes. She knew nothing of the outside world or how to get there. She had no money, no knowledge of people or places or customs beyond her limited life. But painting became a kind of freedom. She had found a way of escaping without taking a single step." 🎨🖌️🫟✨

One of the most impressive and outstanding things about this book is the language. It is exquisite. I can’t express quite how extraordinary it is. And it never lets up. No word is wasted, and the story is never dull. I ended up highlighting 155 passages, just out of pure beauty 🥲

"The paint is almost crawling off the canvas. Raw as a wound, the impasto shiny, Tata has made it feel as if Joseph is trying to break free from the image. Writhing and seething and alive." 🎨 ✨

I enjoyed the process of getting to know these characters and watching them morph over time. That is the true essence of this book and every page serves as a tool to achieving this outcome. I had initially expected a well-written book, given its awards. A simple story about an artist and a journalist seeking insight into his well renowned books, however, what I got was so much more. Steeds’ took the narrative on an unexpected d-tour: a scenic journey; a tale of art, love, and secrets; and self-discovery of perhaps our most overlooked heroine - Ettie.

"Most people only ever see what they want to see" 👀

This book was a privilege to read. I still cannot fathom that this is a debut novel and I can’t wait to see what Steeds’ writes next 🙇🏻‍♀️

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Amina · Rating 2 out of 5]

✰ ​2.5 stars ✰​

​

“Most people only ever see what they want to see.”​

The prologue was not necessary; it completely took away the element of surprise and made the anticipation of waiting for the anvil to land more of the purpose of the read, rather than allowing the build-up. ​If we know ​literally​ what the final intention will be, it serves very little purpose to reading it.​ 😒



I found it interesting that as the narrative continued, Ettie's chapters significantly became longer and Joshua Adelaide's shortened; for once the twenty-year-old aspiring art writer saw Tata for the monster he was rather than The Artist hailed as a master of the light - the man who could create beauty from nothing - a recluse whose paintings have garnered widespread acclaim, who guards his creative approach like a protective secret, when Joshua no longer served as the model as the Young Man with Orange, it took away the meaningful impact of his arrival in this remote French countryside.​ 😔

“This is the price we must pay for art.”

I did feel bad for Ettie and the secluded life she was forced to endure.​ 💔 Being the sole outlet for Edouard Tartuffe's cruel disdain over women being artists or even having a life outside of household chores, spiteful jealousy of her own talents, and his outward loathing over his sister's betrayal and ability to ruin his chance for a more successful artistic career took away the essence of her own self - of her spirit - her own ambition. Her yearning to escape - the freedom Joshua offered was the final push she needed to enact the decision she lacked the resolve to pursue.​ 🥺

Yet two-thirds into the novel, I was skimming. I felt like the story was taking too long to get anywhere - that once the veil had been lifted, the flowery descriptions were more noticeable and the trauma now more monotonous rather than impactful. 😮‍💨​ Even Ettie and Joshua's burning desire for each other was lukewarm. The figurative imagery of Tata's food obsession lost ​its appeal; one could almost say that once the gig was up, the story had reached a stalemate.

For the more the author continuously painted Ettie's past as a childhood of having things taken away from her, the more it felt like it was an attempt to justify her actions. 😕​ It was merely a countdown to when either would make their move, or rather when Tata would realize that perhaps the ones he had invited into his home, may very well be planning to overthrow him.

“If you try to put a painting into words you’ll have to lose something of it. You have to accept what you’ll lose.”

So when the final flame was lit, it didn't really lay an impact; I was numb to it, because I was ​already​ aware of it - expectant of it. I was actually annoyed with Ettie for how she behaved in order to gain the upper hand, at the expense of Joshua's own well-being.​ 🤨

And the sad thing is that when it did happen - the author chooses to abruptly end it​! 🤦🏻‍♀️ One would justify that there is no reason to dance on someone's pain, when all is said and done, but as a reader, I needed to feel some certain vindication or completion to Ettie's conquest of coming out of the shadows.

For these two lost Caged Songbirds breaking free and reclaiming that desire to escape one’s circumstances, that should have had a more visceral reaction. When it was not even touched upon and glazed over, it felt like a cheap shot of avoiding the necessity of writing out the follow-up to the implosion.​ 🙍🏻‍♀️

So, perhaps if we did not ​obviously already​ know at the start of the novel what Ettie planned to do - it ​just might​ have been a more compelling story​, rather than a predictable one. 🤷🏻‍♀️​ But, it lost its steam when it became apparent that Tata was the rightful villain and that even Joshua's own self-destruction at his hand would not get a righteous ending. I felt that this really was not all that engaging a read as it could have been.​ 😞

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking at all the four and five star reviews for this book, it has to be a case of “it’s me not you”.
I found the writing to be at first beautifully descriptive but after a while it becomes too repetitive and flowery for my taste.
I’m all for character driven novels but you have to make the characters interesting, with layers to peel back and reveal more.
They are more like caricatures to me; the moody, unpredictable artist, the nervous inexperienced journalist sent to profile him and the put upon, bullied niece. Not much happens until the last few pages and the ending is given away in the prologue which took away all dramatic tension for me.
You may love the (long!) descriptions of food, painting and heat but ultimately this wasn’t my cup of tea

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A captivating novel of love, art, food, desire and thwarted ambition, which builds propulsively over one scorching French summer in 1920s Provence."
Set against the backdrop of post World War I France, Joseph Adelaide is a journalist who travels to Provence to observe and write about legendary painter Edouard Tartuffe whose niece Ettie lives with him and caters to his every whim. Tartuffe is controlling with an explosive temper and volatile personality. He has raised Ettie since she was seven years old. Both Joseph and Ettie are struggling from the ramifications of their experiences during the Great War.

This novel is an artist's masterpiece, and Lucy Steeds brilliantly paints her canvas using words and paper. She creates beautiful imagery and engages all your senses. You can see the paintings, taste and smell the food and gardens, feel the surroundings, and hear everything going on in the scene. The prose and narrative is lush, evocative, emotional, and riveting with richly drawn characters. It is a feast for the senses. I was completely immersed in the story and characters. Themes of love and desire, art and ambition, freedom, and women's place in society are brilliantly explored. It's one of the best books I've read this year! I highly recommend this must-read novel! Lucy Steeds, you have set the world on fire and I am here for whatever you write!

[Carl (Hiatus. IBB in Jan) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2025
Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2025

"Here was the man who could create beauty from nothing. Here was an artist who had dined with Van Gogh and argued with Cezanne, Who had expanded the boundaries of paint and colour and light itself." This evocative quote sets the stage for Lucy Steeds' debut novel, The Artist, a captivating historical fiction that transports readers to the scorching landscapes of 1920s Provence.

The novel centres around Edouard Tartuffe, a renowned but reclusive and excentric painter, who never gives interviews. Tartuffe's reclusion is disrupted by the arrival of Joseph, a young English journalist seeking to consolidate his career by interviewing the great painter. Soon Joseph understands this interview will come with a cost. Joseph will have to pose for Tartuffe as a model for what will become his most famous work of art. While Joseph pursues his professional ambitions, the true heart of the story lies in the awakening of Ettie, Tartuffe's niece and a young woman yearning for a life beyond the confines of her uncle's isolated world.

The romance between Joseph and Ettie unfolds slowly and deliberately, allowing for a nuanced exploration of their individual desires and the societal constraints they face. While some may find the pacing slow, it allows for a deeper immersion in the atmosphere and a more profound understanding of the characters' internal struggles. The story is never dull. Steed wastes no word.

The Artist is more than just a historical romance; it's a thoughtful exploration of artistic inspiration, the pressures of fame, and the search for one's own identity in a rapidly changing world. Steeds' prose is both elegant and evocative, capturing the details of 1920s Provence with vivid imagery. It is hard to fathom this is a debut and I will be reading more of her work.

I would highly recommend The Artist for readers who appreciate character-driven historical fiction, particularly those with an interest in art, the complexities of human relationships, and the enduring impact of historical events.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In his book about Francis Bacon, the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze writes about “the painting before painting.” There is no such thing as an empty canvas, something is always already there—historical ways of painting, contemporary ways of painting, your own way of painting, clichés, the culture’s entire repertoire of motifs and methods. If you are going to paint a man or a chair in front of you, you have to force your way through the whole thicket of inner images, as the painting has to emerge in its own right, and for this to happen it can’t be governed by what was there before, it has to be present in the moment. All art, I dare to affirm, is about getting to that point. And here self-doubt and inadequacy offer an access. Not being able, not knowing—that is the starting point of creation.”
~ Karl Ove Knausgård on the painter Celia Paul

First, I would like to formally apologize to Lucy Steeds for having followed in Richard Flanagan’s footsteps. Any book following “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” and “Question 7” was going to suffer in comparison. Timing is (often) everything.

The first half of “The Artist” felt slow and very flat to me, bogged down in too much lavender and the chirps of crickets. As a French person, I certainly recognized the South of France, but the writing was painfully mired in too many clichés and repetitions. It felt as sticky and sweet as Tartuffe’s fingers stuck in his jar of honey.

Then halfway through, a certain Peggy G. appeared and the novel unfurled like a night-blooming cereus, the Queen of the Night, a hauntingly beautiful flower which only opens its large, white blooms at night, setting the landscape on fire.

From there on the writing surged, got more urgent and more precise, shed its clichés like snake skin, and questions about painting, art, personhood, agency, perception, subservience and creativity came fully into view in arresting scene after arresting scene.

I raced through the last hundred pages with rapture and sheer delight, witnessing a character’s inner unraveling turn into the most radical act of self-creation. Like Nicole Kidman at the end of “The Portrait of a Lady”. Incandescent and lit up from within.

And it was perfect.

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy quiet, slow-burn romances, this is the book for you. More thoughts soon...


ORIGINAL POST 👇

Delighted to see this nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction, as it was already on my wish list.

Just ordered it from blackwells.com because it's not out until May in the States (where it's titled The Artist and the Feast).

[Quirine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a beautiful atmosphere but kind of left me with a ‘meh’ feeling in the end. It wasn’t memorable in terms of plot, characters or emotions.

[Jennifer (Jaye) (trying to catch up, challenging time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Secrets*

This is a slow burn but a wonderful one. It features a small cast of characters and begins in Provence in 1920. The prose is occasionally lyrical. It’s also Lucy Steeds debut novel.

Ettie lives with her uncle, the renowned artist Edouard Tartuffe, also known as Tata. Her life is reclusive due to her mother’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy, which was frowned upon. Desperate to escape France, her mother met a man and left Ettie behind, hoping to eventually send for her daughter. Tragically, things didn’t go as planned and her mother met a sad end.

Tartuffe transformed his life to care for Ettie. He yearns for peace and quiet to focus on his art.

Ettie has learned to be quiet. One of Tata’s favourite pastimes is painting food, often in less-than-ideal conditions. He finds fascination in the various stages of decomposition.

When Ettie shops for food, she’s in a zone. Instinctively, she knows how to find the right items and then Tata magically draws and paints them.

Due to her upbringing, Ettie has never experienced intimate love.

Joseph, a hopeful and aspiring journalist, arrives with an invitation letter to interview Tata, hoping to boost his career.

All three characters harbour secrets, and Ettie yearns to step out of the shadows and be seen. What would that look like? especially as her secret may end up changing things for her.

[Dawn R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book (as The Ministry of Time did in 2024 and in Memoriam did in 2023) has set the benchmark for the year for 5 star books! For the rest of the year I will be asking myself 'is it as good as The Artist?' before I dish out the 5 stars.

It was just so beautifully written and conjures up immediate images of specific time and place. I felt like I was in France in 1920 and could almost feel the layers of paint, the warmth of the sun, the smell of the peaches...

Telling the story of 'monster artist' Tartuffe from the points of view of a visiting writer and his niece, The Artist offers a memorable mix of historical fiction, mystery and undeniably lovely romance. It was also, despite the subject matter, really easy to read.

The book spans one summer, but is filled with remembrances of the recent war that has a lasting impact on the characters and I loved the slow way the memories infused the story.

I really just LOVED this book (in case that wasn't clear!) Would wholeheartedly recommend to everyone and look forward to reading more Lucy Steeds in the future.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly overwritten in parts and a bit repetitive, but for the most part I enjoyed the writing style. It really evoked the time and place and there were some beautiful descriptions of food in particular. But the characters didn’t quite get there for me. It felt like I was told who they were rather than shown.

[Scott Baird (Gunpowder Fiction and Plot) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming, simple and obvious.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Artist and the Feast is set at (fictional artist) Edouard Tartuffe’s cottage and studio in 1920s Provence. The Great War has recently ended but its effects linger on. A young journalist, Joseph Adelaide, arrives at the farmhouse hoping to write an article about the reclusive artist. There, he meets Ettie, Tartuffe's niece, who appears to do everything for her uncle. Joseph is allowed to stay if he will pose for one of Tartuffe’s paintings, “Young Man with Orange.” It soon becomes apparent that this story is as much or more about Ettie as Tartuffe, and Joseph will serve as a catalyst for change.

It is beautifully written, and includes vibrant descriptions of art, food, and nature. One of the primary themes is thwarted ambition. Tartuffe comes across as an egomaniac who expects Ettie’s total devotion without regard to her own aspirations. Joseph has also been limited in his ambitions by a forceful father who wanted to dictate his son’s life. It is a striking debut that combines historical fiction with the artistic process, gender dynamics, and the hidden stories of those who have supported famous artists. A delightful novel!

4.5

[Freda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe this just is what light holiday reading is like in 2025, but this felt so basic. The plot was so predictable I am astonished it was published, and the prose was uninteresting; all its attempts to be beautiful fell flat and far too many sentences added nothing. Throw in a plot that is utterly cringe and written without much understanding of life - oh my god surely not little Cinderella who has barely been given an education of any kind turning out to have an astonishing hidden talent for art, you don’t say (eye rollllll)… I couldn’t finish.

But maybe the problem was my expectations; I had expected something less lowbrow.

[quillnqueer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly vivid debut, I feel as if I'm inside every painting described. The female rage is absolutely exquisite, and this honestly doesn't feel like a debut novel. It's an absolute masterpiece.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This novel is a feast for the senses, focusing on visual imagery, physical textures, and taste. Edouard Tartuffe is a reclusive artist in 1920s Provence, France. When his sister, Gabrielle, becomes pregnant, he retires to a home in the countryside, where he can continue his art.

He gave Gabrielle shelter when she was the worst thing a woman could be: an unmarried mother, a temptress, a whore.

When Ettie is seven, her mother abandons her, leaving Tata to raise the child alone. The story begins with a young British journalist, Joseph Adelaide, arriving at the door to interview Tartuffe. Tata has refused all interviews up to this point, and but for Ettie, this interview would never have taken place. She convinces her uncle that Joseph would make an excellent model for ‘Young Man with Orange.’

I enjoyed how the author juxtaposes Tata with Joseph. The author notes that Joseph has his own agenda: to write an article about the very famous but elusive painter. In effect, they paint each other, but Joseph’s painting will consist of words. At this point, I decide to pay attention to the author’s use of words to evoke images. Already, she is vividly describing Tartuffe’s paintings, one of a mirror, which shows reflections of an unmade bed, a wedding ring, and an open window. The mirror and other props have been relegated to the room where Joseph is housed for his stay with Tata. Tartuffe insists on the nickname, but is otherwise a brusque and unwelcoming host. His niece, Etta, flits about the rooms like a shadow, keeping everything at hand for her uncle, the great master painter. Ettie feels unseen and unappreciated, but is quick to notice that Joseph has seen her, really looked at her.

Is Lucy Steeds asking how much bad energy and abuse we will accept at the hands of a so-called genius? I sense no warmth in Tata, only a man following his passion. Surely it isn’t wrong to follow one’s passion, but when it comes at a cost to others, even if it provides the world with breathtaking beauty, then it becomes about power, subjugation, and lies. Lies, because the art is superficial beauty, plastic power. Why do the curmudgeons hold us in their thrall while the silent Etties pass by without observation or comment? It is Ettie that interests me, although Tata’s art is undeniably gazeworthy.

Steed’s prose is like water pouring into me, getting thicker and sweeter as the story proceeds. The internal lives of Ettie and Joseph are the precious worlds of damaged souls. Ettie’s mother abandoned her, and Joseph’s mother has recently died. Haunted by the ghosts of their absent mothers, they are both vulnerable and lonely like abandoned plants in a forgotten corner of a once-loved garden.

It’s interesting how the story matches the season’s moods, a love story that ignites in the heat of summer, and as summer winds down, the lies where the flowers have withered. Still, the passion is there. Can it withstand the death of summer?

Joseph wants to solve the puzzle of Tata’s painting, his motivation. Solving Tata is like prizing open the tightly fisted jaw of a metal clam with punishing teeth. As the summer progresses, he realizes that Ettie was always the main puzzle, the greatest prize.

How we “see” is a prevalent theme, along with its equally important twin: what are we blind to? What are the lies we tell ourselves when we don’t want to see?

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1836 essay, ‘Nature,’ he says, The eye is the best of artists. Steeds paints vivid pictures of the settings, the way the characters move about, and interact; I feel present and as though I am creating art along with the characters, touching and tasting the vast array of food set for supper, the food destined for Tata’s still life paintings. Emerson continues, And as the eye is the best composer, so light is the first of painters. Steeds makes us see the light shining through windows, the sheen of butter, bodies in moonlight.

The last quarter of the novel is fast-paced. I can’t believe how much happens in so few pages. However, the compulsive pull of this novel for me was not about getting to the end, but more about enjoying an immersive experience that delights the senses.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first heard about Lucy Steeds’ debut novel, The Artist, at the Durham Book Festival but decided against it because I felt that the theme of women living in the shadow of famous male artists had been overdone. I picked it up again after reading a number of positive reviews and seeing that it had been longlisted for the Women’s Prize. The first half of the novel seemed to confirm all my original fears. [The next part of this review discusses a plot point that I don’t believe to be a spoiler as it is HEAVILY signalled in the novel’s prologue and the writer herself has talked about it when discussing the book. However, it is not in the novel’s blurb, so I have spoiler tagged it.] Joseph, a young art journalist, goes to stay with the famous artist Edouard Tartuffe or ‘Tata’ (think Paul Cézanne) and his helpmeet and niece, Ettie, deep in rural Provence. As Joseph studies Tata’s process, Ettie’s shadowy role in the household gradually comes into focus; she not only chooses and arranges the fruit, fish and greens that Tata uses in his paintings, contributing to their composition, but is an artist in her own right. As Joseph eventually discovers, Ettie is forging copies of each of Tata’s paintings and selling these copies as Tata’s originals. She is not interested in making money, but in proving that her own talent is equal to Tata’s.

Steeds can’t quite seem to decide whether she wants this plot point to be a twist or not, and it does a disservice to this novel, which picks up once it is allowed to talk openly about what Ettie is doing. It raises questions that are much more interesting than the usual woman-is-the-real-artist historical fiction, exploring true co-dependency between Ettie and Tata, who relies on her presence to make his life work. Tata, indeed, is easily the most interesting character because we don’t get to see inside his head, and so he doesn’t suffer from Steeds’ habit of spelling out everything her characters think over and over again (‘No, thinks Ettie with a flare of defiance. Her talent is all her own. Cultivated in secret. Practiced under cover of darkness. Quashed, hidden, smothered. It is no one else’s but hers. Sustained by her bright, blazing self.’) It’s tick-box writing, designed to appeal to whoever just wants to be told that women’s stories have been hidden throughout history (Women’s Prize judges, clearly!) On the other hand, it is fair to say that while The Artist is incredibly skimmable, it does manage to gradually build an atmosphere, sustained by the summer heat, the rotting food Tata depicts, and the parched countryside (‘The sunflowers are gone. The summer has turned: the once-golden flowers have withered, their saffron petals shrivelling to black in the heat. All that remains is a stretch of darkness.') So it works, if you don’t think about it too carefully, but I’m glad this didn’t make the Women’s Prize shortlist.

[Courtney Powell · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could bring myself to DNF, I would have quit this one.

The book was so overwritten, simile stacked on simile, an attempt to be poetic that comes off as inauthentic at best, desperate at worst.

It’s also off-putting to center the story around a classically trained artist, with seemingly no knowledge of how classically trained artists paint.

Putting these gripes aside, the character development and plot also fell flat for me.

[AG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no notes. This was absolutely perfect.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to The Artist on audio and, although initially it took me a little while to get into, from the halfway point I became heavily engrossed in it and it's superb finale upped it from a four star to a five star read/listen.

I loved the growth of Ettie throughout the book. I found the chapters where we learned more about her past rather emotional, and I loved to see her becoming a stronger and feistier character. A book that fights against the suppression of women's talent and women in general is always going to be a winner in my eyes!

The Artist is full of atmosphere, love and hate, emotion and grief and loss, and great characterisation. A brilliant debut, wonderful storytelling and has a highly deserved place on the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist.

[Vicki Perry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has so many good reviews so maybe I’m missing something but to me it just seemed like a pile of cliches, one-dimensional characters and painfully melodramatic writing.

[Jo Rawlins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now the Waterstones Debut Book of 2025.

I was consumed by this novel from the first few pages. Set in the isolation of a rural home in Provence, France, the characters of Tata, Ettie and Joseph are so convincingly depicted.

Beautifully atmospheric and brimming with life and light and energy, the author's writing is vivid and polished.

Perfectly plotted, from beginning to end there was never a relief to the relentless pace.

I highly recommend The Artist.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

[Liina · Rating 2 out of 5]

wanted something easy as a palate cleanser in between more serious stuff and kind of expected something akin to Safekeep but god that was overwritten af. Just a big puffy sentimental and predictable drag. A good example how by saying more you can make the reader feel less until she feels nothing but the wish for the book to end.

[Marius Citește · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plasat în superba Provență rurală a anilor 1920, ni se dezvăluie un roman despre ambiție, iubire și despre rolul femeilor (sau absența lor) în lumea artei. O meditație asupra căutării identității într‑o lume aflată în plină transformare, ne impresionează prin finețea observației.
Proza lui L.S. este elegantă, evocatoare, surprinzând cu o precizie aproape picturală toate detaliile.
Recomand cartea tuturor celor care apreciază ficțiunea istorică, iubitorilor de artă și celor interesați de complexitatea relațiilor umane și de felul în care evenimentele istorice continuă să modeleze destine individuale. Este un roman care se citește cu încetinitorul, dar care răsplătește prin profunzime și subtilitate.

[Katrina Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric, passionate, pacey, this was a gripping read. I really enjoyed Lucy's writing about how art feeeeels, the slow reveal of character back stories, the hot summer setting and the romance.

I did (and don't usually) guess all the plot twists before they were spelled out, felt like Tata could have been developed further than a sad monster