The Painter

by Libby Hathorn

At art school in Arles, Bernard falls out with his art master. Aware of the boy's talent, his master tries to break his spirit - only his grandmother encourages him. But when Bernard befriends a lone Dutch painter called Vincent, his life changes forever

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Libby Hathorn is an Australian writer who produces poetry, picture books, drama, novels, short stories, and nonfiction for children, young adults, and adults. Best known in the United States for her critically acclaimed novel Thunderwith, Hathorn has created works ranging from serious stories of troubled youth to lighthearted, fast-paced comedies. She writes of powerful female characters in her novels for junior readers, such as the protagonists in All about Anna and The Extraordinary Magics of Emma McDade; or of lonely, misunderstood teenagers in novels such as Feral Kid, Love Me Tender, and Valley under the Rock. As Maurice Saxby noted in St. James Guide to Children's Writers, "In her novels for teenagers especially, Hathorn exposes, with compassion, sensitivity, and poetry the universal and ongoing struggle of humanity to heal hurts, establish meaningful relationships, and to learn to accept one's self—and ultimately—those who have wronged us."

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Informative yet captivating. A story that pulls one in, tugging at my art-strings with inspiration! The author did very very well to capture images without a single brush stroke; I could really visualize every picture.
Nicely done. Highly recommend.

[Mada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read! I just read through it so swiftly, having read 5 pages without even realising it! It was beautifully and skillfully written.