The Artist

An intense summer of love, lies and the promise of freedom, set in Provence in 1920.

PROVENCE, 1920

Ettie moves through the remote farmhouse, silently creating the conditions that make her uncle's artistic genius possible.

Joseph, an aspiring journalist, has been invited to the house. He believes he'll make his name by interviewing the reclusive painter, the great Edouard Tartuffe.

But everyone has their secrets. And, under the cover of darkness, Ettie has spent years cultivating hers.

Over this sweltering summer, everyone's true colours will be revealed.

Because Ettie is ready to be seen.
Even if it means setting her world on fire.

Review

The Artist is a lush, impressive debut; the writing is rich and sensuous, especially in descriptions of food, the landscape and the act of creation. Lucy Steeds, a graduate of the Faber Academy, is one to watch ― The Times, Best Historical Fiction of 2025

Vividly poetic . . . A seductive combination of romance, puzzle and poetry, The Artist also offers a considered interrogation of the value of art: to open windows in human existence, to push against limits, to bring freedom, perspective and light ― Guardian

The height of summer in 1920s Provence is a place of honeyed heat and slow-burn attraction. This is the intense, beautifully realised tale of reclusive painter Tata, his put-upon niece Ettie, who's living a secret artistic life of her own, and aspiring writer Joseph, who finds himself drawn into their tempestuous, luminous orbit in this smouldering book ― Daily Mail

The stifling Provence landscape and the visceral nature of creating and consuming art are evoked beautifully . . . Steeds command of language is dextrous and powerful . . . a hugely accomplished portrait of ambition and self-fulfilment ― Observer

A sultry, headily perfumed portrait of monstrous male egos and oppressed overlooked women . . . The Artist uncovers its secrets by stealth ― Daily Telegraph

This compelling, evocative debut will transport you to idyllic, sun-drenched Provence in 1920 . . . An absorbing, poetic read ― Mail on Sunday

The air is thick with the power of art, the sensuality of food, the desire to be seen and create alarming heat ― Sainsbury's Magazine

A blaze of a book, poetic, passionate and quietly powerful ― Daily Mail

Romantic . . . brings to life a painter's studio in 1920s Provence ― Country & Town House

Sensuous and brooding ― Bookseller

Enthralling . . . the descriptions of the landscape, the meals they eat and the art created are so rich and evocative it's as if you're there ― Good Housekeeping

A vivid and atmospheric literary novel, rich in observational detail, that explores and transcends the oppressive power dynamics of artistic creation ― Sydney Morning Herald

About the Author

Lucy Steed's debut novel, The Artist was a Sunday Times bestseller, was longlisted for the Women's Prize and won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Award and the Waterstones Book of the Year Award. Lucy herself has synaesthesia and uses this to play with ways of translating images into words. She has a BA in English Literature, a Masters in World Literatures from the University of Oxford, and is a graduate of both the Faber Academy and the London Library Emerging Writers Programme. She currently splits her time between London and Amsterdam.