Book review: the militant muse: love, war and the women of surrealism by Whitney Chadwick

In The Militant Muse: Love, War and the Women of Surrealism, Whitney Chadwick explores how a number of women within the Surrealist movement fought to move beyond the confining role of muse to establish themselves as groundbreaking artists in their own right. Covering the lives of figures including Frida Kahlo, Claude Cahun and Valentine Penrose, this immersive and captivating account challenges the marginalisation of these women within the Surrealist movement and offers insight into the formative power of female friendship, determination and support, writes Vanessa Longden. The Militant Muse: Love, War and the Women of Surrealism. Whitney Chadwick. Thames & Hudson. 2017.