Glyn Philpot: Flesh and Spirit

The first color monograph on the artist Glyn Philpot – a key figure in Modern British art

Published to accompany the exhibition Glyn Philpot: Flesh and Spirit at Pallant House gallery 14 May – 23 October 2022

Glyn Philpot (1884–1937) was a key figure in Modern British art in the first half of the twentieth century, whose work spanned Arts and Crafts illustration, Edwardian “Swagger” portraiture, Symbolism, and Art Deco Modernism. Drawing on new research and recently rediscovered paintings and archive material, the first color monograph on the artist looks at his career from early works comprising more traditional formal portraiture through to modernism in the 1920s and 30s. Exploring Philpot’s engagement with international modernism, it looks at his exposure to American art and the Harlem Renaissance, Neue Sachlichkeit in Berlin and the impact of living and working in Paris, especially the work of Rodin, Matisse, Picasso, and Cocteau. It also considers Philpot’s work in the light of recent queer theory and writing on race, discussing Philpot’s impact on queer writers and artists, including more recent works by Isaac Julien—in particular his film ‘Looking for Langston’—and writers such as Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst, who provides an introduction to this volume.