Dina in the Red Dress:
The Artist's Muse Who Defied the Nazis
On Sale February 23, 2027
The extraordinary true story of an intrepid muse and the artist compelled to immortalize her.
In the summer of 1940, as France succumbs to Germany, Dina Vierny poses for famed sculptor Aristide Maillol on the French-Spanish border. But Dina has a restless spirit; when night falls, she leads Resistance missions to help artists, intellectuals, and activists escape across the mountains to the relative safety of Spain. Her adventures span the Pyrenees, Marseille, Nice, Lyon, and the studios of Maillol, Matisse, Bonnard, Dufy, Picasso, and the Surrealists.
Dedicating her postwar life to art, she amasses a spectacular collection and smuggles work by dissident artists out of the Soviet Union to exhibit in her Paris gallery and museum. A tireless champion of Maillol, she shows his work across continents and creates a sculpture garden in front of Louvre. His serene but bold sculpture, a testament to their partnership, is also found at the Met, MoMA, Hirshhorn, Nasher, Kimbell, Getty, and Tate.
Drawing from extensive interviews and deep archival research, this book brings to life two remarkable figures and the dark times that shaped their art. Dina in the Red Dress, a stunning portrait of resilience and imagination, reminds us that art can empower both resistance against fascism and the persistence of hope.
Praise & Reviews
“Lynne Bermont's thoughtful, meticulously researched biography brings to life a time, not unlike our own, when great artists operated in a world that demanded great activism. An exciting and profound tale of devotion and sacrifice, told with suspense and, above all, a discerning eye.”
—Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road and The Vanishing Family
“Thanks to Lynne Bermont’s skilled and exuberant writing, Dina in the Red Dress roars to life with all the energy and joie de vivre of its subject. This elegant portrait blends art, war, history, and culture in a thrilling mix that both captivates and inspires. I loved the hours I spent with the elusive, courageous, and dazzling Dina: Bermont’s superb telling of this fearless heroine’s story should cement Dina Vierny’s name and legacy in history.”
—Heath Hardage Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon and The League of Wives
“Dina Vierny, muse and model for the sculptor Aristide Maillol, saved many refugees by donning a red dress and bravely guiding them out of occupied France. Vierny would later become a leading collector, gallerist, and museum-maker. Out of these bright strands, and with impeccable research, Lynne Bermont has crafted an unforgettable story that shares qualities of Maillol’s own sculptures: powerful as a river, lighter than air. A bold braiding of a singular life, extraordinary art, and what endures.”
—Natalie Dykstra, author of Chasing Beauty and Clover Adams
“Vivid, suspenseful, and beautifully researched, Dina in the Red Dress tells the story of a woman who lived a double life: muse by day and Resistance fighter by night. A gripping portrait of a fearless survivor and the extraordinary century she outlived.”
—Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light