Letters of Frances Hodgkins

Letters of Frances Hodgkins is a generous selection of letters written by New Zealand's most internationally well-known artist. It shows that Hodgkins deserves not only her considerable reputation as a painter, but also that of a brilliant and engaging writer. The letters reveal Hodgkins' changing moods, impressions and fortunes and provide vivid sketches of the people and landscapes she came across. Spanning from colonial Dunedin to her travels across Europe and North Africa, the letters continue through her final flowering in her 60s and 70s. Linda Gill's careful scholarship and sensitive appreciation of Hodgkins' talents and personality make her introduction and notes the perfect framework for the artist's own words. A chronology, an in-depth bibliography and an index of letter recipients complement the work. Extensively illustrated, with eight pages of color reproductions of Hodgkins' paintings, Letters of Frances Hodgkins is central to understanding Hodgkins as artist and woman.