The Vanitas & Other Tales of Art and Obsession

Spanning 300 years of art history and weaving styles including Cubism, Surrealism, and the Baroque into his prose, Jake Kendall tells the stories of those with an obsession for creation – artists who sacrifice friendships, careers, romance, and even their own happiness in pursuit of a vision.

‘Kendall's collection is a thoughtful and playful meditation on the often tyrannical pursuit of art’ Lynsey May, author of Weak Teeth

How far would you go for the sake of art?

In these eight illustrated short stories, Monet, Van Gogh, Géricault and others navigate the boundary between art and experience through masterfully written prose that reflects each artist's style.

The collection culminates with "The Vanitas", where Sandro Signorelli's philosophy that a lifetime of faith and toil shall receive its just reward is challenged by the emergence of a new artist. Across town, Michelangelo Merisi is making seismic waves.

The city of Rome cannot help but be captivated by this explosive eruption of talent, swagger, seduction, and violence, while Sandro's life is plunged into crisis by a rival who does not even know his name.