This is Tomorrow Twentieth-century Britain and its Artists

Michael Bird

A compelling and lively history that examines the lives of British artists from the late nineteenth century to today. 

This is the story of how the lives of British artists, from the late-nineteenth century to the present day, reflected and refracted the profound changes and historical events in the wider world. In a brilliant narrative that vividly evokes the personalities who populate and drive this story—including Aubrey Beardsley, Damien Hirst, and Barbara Hepworth—author Michael Bird reevaluates how we look at the history of modern Britain.

Bird illuminates how British artists have been remembered, reimagined, and reshaped by a century of dramatic events. Generously illustrated, This is Tomorrow is an absorbing narrative of how history has changed—and continues to change—how artists see and are seen. 

Reviews

Bird's authoritative survey is thoroughly and engagingly preoccupied with the 'nature of art's potential contribution to the cause of social progress.'

— Shelf Awareness

Contributors

Michael Bird

Author

Michael Bird is a writer, broadcaster, and curator. He is the author of the bestselling children's history of art Vincent's Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children's History of Art and his books for adults include This is Tomorrow: Twentieth-Century Britain and Its Artists; Artists' Letters: Leonardo da Vinci to David Hockney; and 100 Ideas that Changed Art.