Finding Nemon by Aurelia Young
ISBN: 978-1-912545-79-7
Non-Fiction,Price: £25.99
Oscar Nemon, known as Nemon (1906–85), is one of the twentieth century’s greatest sculptors, as testified by his iconic portraits of elder statesmen and major figures displayed all over the world. He was a flamboyant personality who charmed those who came in contact with him, including towering figures such as Winston Churchill, Sigmund Freud and Queen Elizabeth II and countless politicians and celebrities, as well as a host of women including his long-suffering wife. Their elder daughter Aurelia has gone in search of this often infuriating yet charismatic man and reveals the stories behind his artistic and personal encounters with presidents, prime ministers, royalty and others. She chronicles her father’s life from humble origins in the city of Osijek, Croatia to his flight from the Nazis due to his Jewish background. and his eventual arrival in southern England, where he made a new life and career for himself with his British wife Patricia..
This is an intimate biography of an artist, husband and father complemented by a wealth of fascinating illustrations and anecdotal stories. Nemon’s achievements were great and his legacy immense, making Finding Nemon a tribute by his daughter which draws the man out from the shadow of his remarkable body of work.
“A marvellous book by Aurelia Young on her late father, the sculptor and genius Oscar Nemon . . . Against the odds, being a Jewish refugee, Nemon’s journey brings you close to the people who shaped and impacted on the twentieth century.”
Matthew Parris
“Aurelia Young has learned a vast amount about her father . . . He remained elusively both outsider and insider, arguably a position occupied by many of the best artists but deeply painful at times.”
Anne Sebba
