Earthly Delights

Mary Adshead was one of the most gifted mural painters of the twentieth century, creating light-hearted images that signified a major shift in mural art away from the didactic style of Victorian and Edwardian muralists. Earthly Delights celebrates the work and life of Adshead and explores her impact on mid-twentieth-century painting.

The distinguished contributors to this catalog chronicle the distinctive periods of Adshead's career and recast her as a prominent figure in European modernist art. They examine such issues as Adshead's schooling at the Slade; the years when she painted murals and panels for Samuel Courtauld and the library of the ocean liner Queen Mary; her frequent public building commissions throughout the 1940s, '50s, and '60s; and the matte painting she created for the film Cleopatra. The volume also features a wealth of illustrations, including full-color reproductions of her works and a map of their locations. Published to coincide with a touring exhibition, this volume offers a fascinating look at an overlooked pioneer of mural art.