The Girl in the Green Jumper My Life with the Artist Cyril Mann

When it comes to deciding the most tragic British artist of the 20th century, Cyril Mann (1911-80) must be a contender.

Mann made a number of genuinely innovative breakthroughs and certainly had the potential to become one of the most important figurative painters of his time. Yet struggling with mental health problems Mann had an unerring instinct for turning each moment of promise into bitter disappointment. In 1959, Renske van Slooten fell in love with Mann who was more than twice her age. Renske was convinced she discovered a genius and she promised to dedicate her life to him as muse, model, and money earner. Their struggles quickly threatened to overwhelm them.

The Girl in a Green Jumper is not only an enthralling story set against the backdrop of 1960s London, but it also charts in detail the struggles an artist goes through, both creatively and financially. Renske also gives fascinating insights into the way that Cyril's painting technique evolved over time.

Mark Hudson is the art critic of the Independent, and the author of Titian, the Last Days (Bloomsbury). His books on people and places have won some of Britain’s most prestigious literary awards: the Somerset Maugham Award and the Thomas Cook Award for Our Grandmothers’ Drums, the NCR Award (precursor of the Baillie Gifford Prize) for Coming Back Brockens. His forthcoming work London, While I Wasn’t Looking, is a sprawling, collaged memoir of life in the British capital. Born in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), Renske Mann sought refuge in the Netherlands with her family after Independence. Aged 20, Renske moved to London where she met Cyril Mann, a gifted unsuccessful artist who was 28 years her senior. With little art knowledge, yet convinced of Cyril's genius, Renske offered to be his model and muse, as well as provide financial support. With Cyril’s encouragement, Renske filled her educational gaps and she had a successful career in PR which allowed her to help him for the next 20 years.