The riveting life of Dina Vierny, a muse, fearless Nazi resistor, and art collector who dedicated her life to fighting fascism.

In the summer of 1940, as France succumbed to Nazi Germany, Dina Vierny posed for famed sculptor Aristide Maillol on the French-Spanish border. Dina was the muse who had revived his career, and together they were working on what Maillol envisioned as his masterpiece. But Dina had a restless spirit; when night fell, she led Resistance missions to help artists, intellectuals, and activists escape across the Pyrenees to the safety of Spain.

Drawing on extensive interviews and deep archival research, Lynne Bermont chronicles Dina’s life and partnership with Maillol, bringing to life two remarkable figures and the dark times that shaped their art. For readers of A Woman of No Importance and The Counterfeit Countess, Dina in the Red Dress is a stunning portrait of resilience in the face of adversity and an inspiring account of how art and friendship can sustain us in impossible situations.

About the Author: 

Lynne Bermont is a senior lecturer of modern foreign languages at Mercy University. A graduate of Duke, she earned her PhD in French from Yale, with a subspecialty in art history. The recipient of a Robert and Ina Caro Fellowship for Biographical Research, she lives in New York City.