Chantal Joffe, The Squid and the Whale, 2017

In need of an inspiring read? We have just the ticket! Personal Feeling Is the Main Thing by Chantal Joffe sees the acclaimed British artist set out on a journey with art historian and curator Dorothy Price in the footsteps of the 19th-century German painter Paula Modersohn-Becker, the first female artist to paint a naked self-portrait. The book presents works by both artists side by side to powerful effect, including Joffe’s intimate 2017 painting The Squid and the Whale (pictured here). “Though separated in time and place, Modersohn-Becker’s intensity of vision still speaks directly to Joffe,” writes Price. “Both artists are invested in an unflinching approach to their subject matter. They are at once fierce and tender in their acuity.” Buy the book from Elephant Kiosk.