Sisters, Saints and Sibyls

Nan Goldin's deeply personal exploration of female trauma and resistance. Sisters, Saints and Sibyls is a tribute ‘to all rebellious women struggling to survive in society.’ Focusing on the tragic life of her sister, Barbara, Nan Goldin weaves together a tapestry out of medical records, family photographs and mythical allusions to Saint Barbara to compose a haunting meditation on the mistreatment of female mental health in the twentieth century. Barbara’s story is intertwined with Goldin’s own descent into, and emergence from, addiction, shining a brutal light on the realities of trauma, abuse and mental illness. One of Nan Goldin’s most important series, this timely publication is set to align with a major career retrospective opening at the Grand Palais, Paris, in March 2026.

Nan Goldin's deeply personal exploration of female trauma and resistance. Sisters, Saints and Sibyls is a tribute ‘to all rebellious women struggling to survive in society.’ Focusing on the tragic life of her sister, Barbara, Nan Goldin weaves together a tapestry out of medical records, family photographs and mythical allusions to Saint Barbara to compose a haunting meditation on the mistreatment of female mental health in the twentieth century. Barbara’s story is intertwined with Goldin’s own descent into, and emergence from, addiction, shining a brutal light on the realities of trauma, abuse and mental illness. One of Nan Goldin’s most important series, this timely publication is set to align with a major career retrospective opening at the Grand Palais, Paris, in March 2026.