PROVENCE, 1920
Ettie moves through the remote farmhouse, silently creating the conditions that make her uncle’s artistic genius possible.
Joseph, an aspiring journalist, has been invited to the house. He believes he’ll make his name by interviewing the reclusive painter, the great Edouard Tartuffe.
But everyone has their secrets. And, under the cover of darkness, Ettie has spent years cultivating hers.
Over this sweltering summer, everyone’s true colours will be revealed.
Because Ettie is ready to be seen.
Even if it means setting her world on fire.
I picked up a copy of The Artist at last year’s Ilkley Literature Festival as part of a John Murray Press proof party. I immediately loved the sound of this novel as well as Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, the second novel featured in the event, which I’ll be reading soon.
The novel begins with art journalist Joseph Adelaide arriving in Provence having been invited to interview the highly regarded but infamously reclusive Edouard Tartuffe. He soon realises that it was not Tartuffe himself who invited him to come, and there’s a sense from the beginning of events and characters being manipulated, although to what purpose isn’t immediately clear. Joseph is offered a deal – he can stay and write about Tartuffe if he agrees to model for his next painting. It’s not what he expected, but it’s that or go home with nothing, and it is an opportunity to see the great man at work and to gain unprecedented access and insight into his processes first hand. Things don’t go quite according to this plan as Tartuffe (or Tata, as he insists on being called) refuses to answer Jospeh’s questions, remaining taciturn and almost monosyllabic, with rare periods of gregariousness when the mood takes him. Joseph is left to hope that being in the same room as him will be enough to provide enough fodder for his articles.
I really liked Joseph’s character – he’s a young man and a little naïve with it, but I liked the background Steeds gives him. He has a difficult relationship with his father after he refused to join the First World War upon coming of age, and he came to art journalism as a former art student, having left the course for reasons that aren’t immediately revealed to the reader. What is very much apparent is his appreciation for Tata’s work. He sees him as an artistic genius, and so it’s perhaps understandable that he is initially blinded to the man’s faults, passing off some of his foibles as artistic temperament and the cost of a creative mindset.
Joseph’s perspective alternates with that of Tata’s niece, Sylvette (Ettie), who is undoubtedly the star of the novel. Through her, the reader gains a much clearer picture of Tata and the man he really is without Joseph’s rose-tinted hero-worship. To her, Tata is a tyrant. Demanding, selfish, and childish when things don’t go his way. It’s apparent to the reader that it is Ettie who enables Tata to create his masterpieces. She cooks and cleans, and buys the paraphernalia that appears the background of his paintings, knowing his mind and exactly what’s needed to create the right conditions for him to work his magic. The reader can’t help but question why she puts up with it, although she has few options available to her.
Ettie also appears a little naïve at first having a led a sheltered upbringing, something which suits Tata, if no one else, as he knows without acknowledging it that he would be lost without her. She seems to accept her role of drudgery without complaint, and yet it’s clear to the reader that Ettie is no Cinderella waiting to be rescued. I loved the slow reveal of the more complicated character that begins to emerge – one with an unexpected degree of cunning, and with her own plans and ambitions that have been thwarted by a vain and jealous man for too long. I loved her small acts of rebellion, and the way in which she subtly manipulates those around her to achieve her own goals. I hoped throughout that Joseph’s arrival would prove to be the catalyst that enables Ettie to escape her uncle’s rule.
I’m no art fan or critic, but you don’t need to be to enjoy this wonderful debut. Steeds’ sumptuous writing perfectly captures the haziness of a hot summer’s day, and I was immersed in this wonderful story, intrigued as to what Ettie’s end game was and whether her plans would come to fruition. It’s a wonderful slow burn of a novel featuring a hint of mystery and a dash of romance while exploring deeper themes of female rage, inequality, and quashed ambition and what happens when a person chooses to rebel against the restrictions imposed upon them by others. Highly recommended.
The Artist was published on 30 January in physical, digital, and audio formats by John Murray Press. Huge thanks to the publisher and Ilkley Literature Festival for the opportunity to read this wonderful debut ahead of publication.
Jo's Book Blog 
Fab review Jo, I’m glad you enjoyed it! x
Thank you, Nicki! x