Mytholmroyd author writes trilogy based on french artist

Mytholmroyd-based author, Gina Dale, has released her third novel – Drama Unfolds – completing the historical fiction trilogy based on the life of Carolus-Duran, a celebrated late-19th century French portraiture artist who was a contemporary of Monet, Manet and Renoir and teacher to John Singer Sargent.
By Abigail Kellett
Published 24th Oct 2020, 12:00 BST
Mytholmroyd-based author, Gina DaleMytholmroyd-based author, Gina Dale
Mytholmroyd-based author, Gina Dale

Gina Dale’s first two novels, Brushstrokes and Darkness Falls tell of Carolus-Duran’s courtship and marriage to the beautiful and aristocratic Marie, followed by their joy from the birth of their first daughter and their despair during the Franco-Prussian war.

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Drama Unfolds picks up the story in Paris in 1888 and follows the life of Carolus-Duran’s eldest daughter, Marie-Ann, as she embarks on one of the greatest adventures of her life whilst navigating the social norms and rules of late 19th century Europe, and risking the safety of herself and her family.

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The novel also tells of Marie-Ann’s marriage to actor, prolific playwright and ‘bon viveur’, Georges Feydeau, who was rumoured to be the illegitimate son of either Napolean III or his half-brother the Duc de Morny.

Gina Dale, a lifelong resident of Mytholmroyd, explains how her fascination with Carolus-Duran began: “I was working on a short story as part of a creative writing course - we were asked to write about a picture and I chose ‘Mademoiselle Croizette’s Equestrian Portrait’ by Carolus-Duran, which was hanging on my study wall.

"I didn’t know anything about Carolus-Duran before then, I had bought the portrait from an online search looking for equestrian-themed works of art as I’m avid horse lover, owner and breeder.

"There were discrepancies in the documentation of his early life which I was intrigued by, and then I found out more about his trials and tribulations, as well as all the famous artists and composers that he was a contemporary of – I was hooked!”

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The Brushstrokes Trilogy, as the three novels are now known, has been created over the last three years and Gina has spent hundreds of hours researching Carolus-Duran’s family and their fate, as well as other historical research into the Franco-Prussian war and the early Belle Epoque period in French history.

Gina Dale continues: “I describe all three novels as historical fiction, as, whilst I’ve done a lot of research, I’ve also used artistic licence to fill in some of the gaps and create romance and intrigue around the information I uncovered.”

Drama Unfolds, the third novel by Mytholmroyd author Gina Dale, is available now from the author’s website or Amazon, priced at £5.99 for the e-book or £12.99 for the paperback version.

Audio extracts, interviews and other content related to the Brushstrokes Trilogy are available on Gina Dale’s social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube – search for Gina Dale Author.

A free sample of the first chapters of book one in the trilogy is also now available on the website.