Kenneth Clark: Life, Art and Civilisation

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE BERGER PRIZE FOR BRITISH ART HISTORY 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2017 A SUNDAY TIMES ART BOOK OF THE YEAR A SPECTATOR BOO K OF THE YEAR AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES ART BOOK OF THE YEAR From his time as Bernard Berenson’s protégé to being the Keeper of the Western Art at 27 and his appointment as the youngest-ever director of the National Gallery, Kenneth Clark displayed precocious genius. No voice has exercised so much power and influence over the arts in Britain as Clark’s. A formidable aesthete, his coterie included John Betjeman, Winston Churchill, Margot Fonteyn, E.M. Forster, Vivien Leigh, the Queen Mother and Henry Moore. Hidden from view, however, was his wife Jane’s alcoholism and his own philandering. In James Stourton’s dazzling biography, Clark is shown as a man who conveyed the profound beauty and importance of art, architecture and civilisation for generations to come.This book is a top-performing autobiography that provides a comprehensive view of Clark's influence on European and regional art. Stourton's biography of Clark not only delves into his professional achievements, but also explores the cultural and personal aspects of his life.For fans of Catherine Belton (Putin's People), Timothy Garton Ash (Homelands), and Tina Brown (The Palace Papers). Show more