Modernists and Mavericks - Bacon Freud Hockney and the London Painters

"What can painting do?" is the central question in the book, which examines a group of influential artists in London after World War II. The book describes how artists such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, David Hockney, and others developed their own unique approaches to painting in an environment characterized by friendships, shared ideas, and strong artistic ambitions.

Based on decades of interviews, it describes their lives from post-war Soho to the cultural changes of the 1960s, showing how, despite new media, they maintained their belief in painting's continued relevance and possibilities.