Lady of Marseille, 1982/2024

A limited edition fine art print of one of Beryl Cook's best-loved paintings, featuring gold glitter boots. Inspired by the expressive street scenes of Edward Burra, Beryl Cook travelled to Marseille, where she encountered the glamorous subject of this painting: a sun-drenched woman in a leopard-print outfit walking her dogs along the quayside. As Cook said, "I painted this picture after a visit to Marseilles. It is an exciting place, dangerous too, and we were warned about which streets never to enter. I don't need a warning twice, so we left those streets well alone and sat safely on the quayside in the evenings, content to watch activities on the magnificent yachts and the bustle around the small pavement cafés. This girl, dressed in a minute leopard-skin outfit and sporting a golden tan, busied herself going here and there, pausing for a chat or drink, and occasionally disappearing into a dark alley. Her final appearance was from a nearby doorway with three small dogs eager for exercise, crossing the road in front of us as we walked back to the hotel; she left me with this last view of her."