Painting With Annigoni - Florence, 1958-68: Florence, 1958-68

Dawn Cookson's account of Pietro Annigoni's Florentine studio is an insider's view of the legendary Italian maestro's heydey. First a pupil of Nerina Simi, but aspiring to learn directly from the great man himself, with enormous persistance she eventually persuaded him to take her on as an assistant and pupil in spite of being both female, and a foreigner. A young woman working in a largely male creative environment, Dawn Cookson's sharp eye and ear for the dramatic and the comical reveal not only how high Annigoni's own standards of design and craftsmanship were and how hard it was to please him in the pursuit of excellence, but also his perception and generosity in dealings withassistants, clients, models, sitters, friends and pupils.

No account of this kind would be complete without some discussion of painting methods and processes, and the author includes Annigoni's own formula and procedure for preparing oil tempera, a medium in which he was particularly renowned for his skill. There is also a foreword by Annigoni's son Benedetto. DAWN COOKSON RBSA is a professional portrait painter whose many commissions have included a portrait of HRH the Princess Royal for the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment.