I am excited to share that you may now purchase Kirsty Stonell Walker’s biography of Pre-Raphaelite model Fanny Cornforth. This is by far one of the best Pre-Raphaelite biographies I have ever read and it needs a home on your shelf.
This is technically the second edition of Stunner, but even if you already own and enjoy the first edition, I encourage you to buy the second. Kirsty has outdone herself and she has done Fanny proud.
In Kirsty’s own words:
Why the second edition? Well, there was so much more I wanted to say about Fanny Cornforth, in light of Desperate Romantics and countless exhibitions that have occurred since 2006 when I self-published the first edition. I also wanted to correct any spelling issues that occurred in the first edition. I also wanted to include actual images of Fanny (thanks to the generosity of the museums and galleries involved) and I can show you a tiddy cheque (thank you Lila) and a graphic novel version of Fanny (thank you Raine). I can now tell you what I think happened to Fanny in the end, and show you her letters to Samuel Bancroft Jnr. I can show you a gorgeous and little seen image of her from the Lyman Alleyn Gallery. I can show you where she lived at all of the different points in her life, from Steyning to Kensington. In short, I wanted to do Fanny justice, once and for all, and I hope I have done that now.
UK residents may purchase from Amazon here
US residents may purchase from Amazon here
But, don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a ringing endorsement:
Just ordered it! Thanks for the review. I’d seen it before and thought about it — glad I waited for the expanded 2nd edition!
Ditto. And I love the cartoon. Perfect! There should be a Fanny Cornforth graphic novel,.
If anyone can create a Fanny Cornforth graphic novel, it is Raine!