I just completed two great books about Impressionism! I find it rewarding to read books related to art history as I learn a little something about the artists, the culture or the artwork while I read an entertaining story! Who said books cannot inform AND entertain at the same time!
Sue Roe's
The Private Lives of the Impressionists is a story that takes the reader into the lives of the artists. I was struck at what a difficult life the Impressionists had! They went against the grain, in an era where that was not fashionable, and struggled personally and financially. In Sue Roe's book, the reader learns how "these desperate and remarkable painters began to cohere as a group...They had one thing in common: the determination to succeed" (45). The group was inspired by Manet's realist artwork but he was not willing to exhibit with them. He did not want to go against the establishment, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. He had a "notorious reputation [but] still wanted medals, accolades and one day perhaps - like his father - the Legion d'honneur" (64).
The artists struggled in their day. Understandable since they were fighting the establishment. They followed their passion, did not conform and created a new culture in art. They set the scene for the radical breaks from tradition that were to come: Cubism, Expressionism and Color Field Painting to name a few!
Many thanks to Paul Durand-Ruel for believing in them, financing them and opening a gallery in New York City to bring the talents of the Impressionists to America!
The second book I read was Ross King's
The Judgment of Paris. King's book was easier to read, even though it was longer, as it went into more detail about the decades that lead up to the era of the Impressionists. King's book was a great companion to Roe's. Through King's book the reader gets more of a historical background into the world in which the Impressionist artists were raised so one clearly understands the cultural influences upon the artists.
King focuses on the work of Meissonier quite a bit in the book. He was a prolific and influential artist during the era that is not mentioned in our Art History textbooks. He was the foil by which the Realists and Impressionists were compared. He created artwork that fell in line with the expectation of the Salon committee and frequently exhibited. The reader gains a new understanding of the artist, a perfectionist, and he key artwork,
Friedland. "Few works in the history of art have consumed as much labor [10 years], generated as much rumor and anticipation, been showered with as much money, or simply taken as long to complete" (344).
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