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"If you read that book then you must read this book."That's a common comment when discussing current or past favorite reads. Among the works featured in IATWM's Recommended Reading column for this month is Sue Roe's The Private Lives of the Impressionists. Earlier IATWM reviewed Ross King's The Judgment of Paris. King's book ends with the first impressionist exhibit, though like Roe he explores the time frame from Napoleon III and the Salon des Refuses. Her book also ends with an exhibit, the first one of the Impressionists in New York where they broke into the American market and for the most part never looked back. Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas, Pissarro, Cézanne, Sisley, Morisot and Cassatt were ridiculed during most if not all of their careers and yet their paintings command huge fees at auction and their exhibits are popular with museum and art gallery visitors. Each book has a unique take on their fascinating lives at a pivotal time in the history of both France and its artistic scene. Begin with King and then let Roe complete the journey of the intriguing lives of a group of outstanding artists. |