Eleven multi-talented authors from various fields in the arts and academia have written the chapters of this new book describing the art and adventures of Louis Kahan, a European artist and trained tailor from Vienna who found himself in post-war Australia, to a large extent by happenchance. Based in Melbourne, seen by one author as Australia’s most ‘European’ city, he soon became renowned throughout the country for his portraits of local identities and whimsical compositions, often referring to Paris, the city where his art began, a city he and his wife Lily frequently visited from Australia, and which continued to inspire him. The book is replete with details of his connections with other areas of Australia’s culture including literature, music and theatre. The portraits and portrait sketches he produced of leading figures in these fields appeared regularly in Meanjin magazine, based at The University of Melbourne.
