History of Art

A young and brilliant painter disappears overnight, at the zenith of her fame, leaving no trace of herself behind. Is this a prank, a political statement, a cynical career move - or something more sinister?

There are no shortage of bystanders who believe they know the answer. Some of them knew the painter intimately and loved her fiercely - others met her only once and couldn't stand her. Some saw her as a protégé or a muse, others as a rival, a lover, a servant, a prize. All of them have clues to contribute to the mystery.

At the centre of this crowd stand two women. One is the painter's estranged best friend, Alma, now a young mother trapped in the suburbs and haunted by the road not taken. The other woman is Dalia: the most influential gallerist in London, a formidable businesswoman determined to track down the missing talent before her market value collapses.

In History of Art, Johanna Hedman constructs a beguiling and thought-provoking meditation on art and creativity, security and freedom, illusion and reality; on women moving through a world owned by men; on selling out or wising up; on the formative relationships of youth, which look so different through the rear-view mirror, and the compromises which must be made in order to survive them.