27 January 2017

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The Vanessa Bell retrospective opens at Dulwich next week. At Persephone Books we have been quietly celebrating Vanessa Bell for years (indeed, trivially but crucially, our ultimate accolade in the office would be that something is ‘very Charleston-y’ ie. it would be within the Vanessa Bell aesthetic  – the concept of a daffodil in a milk bottle probably originated with her). The Wise Virgins and A Writer’s Diary use her textile designs, as does Wilfred and Eileen (and possibly William – an Englishman and No Surrender, although the convention is that these Omega fabrics are by Roger Fry). And we have often featured Vanessa Bell’s paintings on the Post and in the Letter. This week, five things to be seen at Dulwich (more details here). First of all, a photograph of her in 1911.