THE FOURTH CANVAS by Neil Hawke
Henri Legrand is a civil servant in the French Ministry of Fine Arts who finds
himself in Vichy, where the new French government is forced to settle following the invasion of the Germans in 1940.
An unusual mission leaves him in possession of a Polish royal artefact and an
expressionist painting of the Vichy-French
head of state, the venerable Marshal Pétain. It is the missing one of four canvases painted by a famous French artist. The satirical nature of the
painting makes this canvas hot property, both to the Vichy Intelligence who
wish to keep it from public
gaze, and the German cultural Intelligence who wish to humiliate Pétain and his new government.
Caught in the middle, Legrand turns to those around him in a desperate effort
to escape his pursuers. There is fear and danger as he discovers that some of
those on whom he relies are not the
friends he first thought, and custodianship of the artefact and canvas comes at a high price. There is also a surprise revelation about Nadine,
the woman he loves.
Throughout all, Henri Legrand is something of an innocent, but with incredible tenacity he always manages to keep or retrieve the articles placed in his possession as his escape across occupied France unfolds.
Legrand’s crossing of the English Channel takes place with a handful of others, all of whom are brought to
England by the Royal Navy under the noses of the Germans. However, even in
wartime Cornwall, Legrand is to discover that Vichy security remains a mortal threat, as he again counts the cost of acting as custodian of a Polish royal artefact and the much sought-after ‘fourth’ canvas.
Neil Hawke
Cornish born author Neil Hawke attended schools at St. Ives and Truro before
studying at the universities of Hull and Nottingham. He has had a long career
as a university lecturer and in 1989 became a Professor of Environmental Law at
De Montfort University. In this capacity he has lectured in universities and
environmental organisations world-wide, with particular attention to Europe and
North America. During his career he has been author and editor of many books
and papers on law and environmental law.
Other interests include French history, Cornish history and culture, and also
the sea and boats, all of which help to authenticate the period and style of
The Fourth Canvas.
