Duncan Grant

The first ever biography of Duncan Grant - one of the best known names in the British art scene and the most charismatic member or the Bloomsbury set.

The life of the painter and designer Duncan Grant spanned great changes in society and art, from Edwardian Britain to the 1970s, from Alma-Tadema to Gilbert and George.

Discover the story of Bloomsbury's most charismatic character, lifelong friend and collaborator of Vanessa Bell.

'Sketches out the intricate emotional web against the bright, bold, untouchable figure of the artist.' - Financial Times

The life of the painter and designer Duncan Grant spanned great changes in society and art, from Edwardian Britain to the 1970s. Acclaimed biographer Frances Spalding offers the first ever complete account of the great artist's life, combining an engrossing narrative with an invaluable assessment of Grant's place within Bloomsbury and in the wider development of British art.

Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell's work is showing at a major new Tate Modern exhibition in 2026 and 2027.