Magic and Mess

Explores the theme of the artists' studio, featuring previously unpublished works and essays.

Magic and Mess: The Artist's Studio Revealed explores the myth and reality of the artists' studio in Europe through the long nineteenth century. Featuring works from the unrivalled Katrin Bellinger Collection and Leighton House, this richly illustrated catalogue showcases both famous and little-known artists and includes essays by leading scholars. Through essays and catalogue entries, the book examines the role of the studio as both a practical space for artmaking and a constant source of inspiration for artists and writers.

Themes covered include the opulent and humble studio; the palette and pigment sets as symbols of the artist; the rise of the female model; and the use of plaster casts, mannequins, prints, photographs, and drawings. The book also contrasts the romantic fires of inspiration with the cold bohemian stove and explores innovations in window design and lighting.

Additionally, it discusses the emergence of the corner of the studio as a privileged zone, drawing inspiration from Émile Zola's cult of the corner and from Lawrence Alma-Tadema's In My Studio (1893), which belonged to Frederic Leighton and has recently been acquired by Leighton House.