Gemma Brace
curator and writer

​ "The art of Paule Vézelay (1892-1984), celebrated in this groundbreaking publication, is remarkable in its breadth. Over her long career she created an extraordinarily diverse output encompassing painting, collage, sculpture, constructions, illustration, textiles, photography, poetry, prose, critical writing and even a film script. As a mark of her considerable accomplishments, she was celebrated with a show at Tate in the year before her death.

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Setting out to bring this bold and accomplished artist to new audiences, this important publication focuses primarily on Vézelay's early years in Paris from the 1920s through to 1939, during which time her work moved from figuration to abstraction, for which she would become best known. The book also brings to light, for the first time in detail, her little-known period as a successful designer of textiles.

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Uncompromising and clear-sighted in her artistic ambitions, Vézelay became a formidable presence in the international avant-garde scene in Paris and continued to push artistic boundaries throughout her long career. This publication, which includes original research and previously unpublished works, extends our understanding, and appreciation of, this important British artist."

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Foreword, Sally Jarman; Introduction, Simon Grant; Paule Vézelay: The Making of an International Artist, Simon Grant; 'Cords have I stretched', Gemma Brace; Paule Vézelay’s Textile Designs, Helen Janecek; Decades of Self-reinvention, Sarah Wilson; Illustrated Chronology, Nina Gioria; Bibliography; Acknowledgements; Index

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Masterfully written and beautifully put together. This book brings the oeuvre of Paule Vézelay to life, centring her as one of the leading artists of the 20th century. – Katy Hessel, author of The Story of Art Without Men

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An eagerly awaited and satisfyingly insightful account of the fascinating life and career of Paule Vézelay – a key but overlooked figure in the history of European abstraction who was at the epicentre of the Parisian avant-garde for almost two decades before the second world war. – Frances Morris, Director Tate Modern (2016-2023)