Emily Rhodes

Picture study: Second Self, by Chloë Ashby, reviewed

Restoring the painting ‘View of Scheveningen Sands’, an art conservationist uncovers a vital detail, leading her to regret the pact she once made with her husband

‘View of Scheveningen Sands’, c. 1641, by the Dutch painter Hendrick van Anthonissen. [Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images]  
issue 08 July 2023

Having established a name for herself as a talented art critic for the national press, Chloë Ashby employs her expertise with illuminating effect in her fiction. In her first novel, Wet Paint, she used the uncomfortable gaze of the barmaid in Manet’s ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergère’ to explore how her protagonist sees and is seen.

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