Aug 19, 2014 · 8:00 PM
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In August we'll meet again at our usual Old Town Alexandria location, this time to discuss the nonfiction book, The Judgment of Paris, the Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism, by Ross King.
Reading this book is like sitting at a Left Bank cafe with a British friend who knows both the history and gossip of the 1860s Paris art scene and can put it all in political context. King describes the revolution in French art by focusing on the lives and canvases of two extremes of the period: Ernest Meissonier, wealthy and successful, whose painting records precise historical detail, and Edouard Manet, rejected and scorned, whose work illuminates his impressions of scenes and characters. As Manet’s palette shifts from browns to vibrant hues, he begins to have a profound influence on a group of younger artists, who come to be known as the Impressionists. Readers will be transfixed by this description of the seismic shift in art from the mirror to the lamp.
Please RSVP to the Meetup site.
Feel free to come even if you haven't finished (or started) the book, but be aware that there will be spoilers!
(For the list of scheduled books for future discussions, click on "About Us" in the left margin of the Meetup page.)