The Painted Word

A new book takes an interesting look at interpreting Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” through a work of fiction. The book of the same name as the painting is by Susan Vreeland who has made a career out of writing fiction novels centered around classic works of art.

“The painting unfolds through the eyes of Renoir and six models. The painter aimed to capture “la vie moderne,” though his conception was different from that of contemporaries such as Zola. The new leisure of Parisians recovering from the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune was also part of modern life, Renoir insisted. He made no apologies for his sometimes sentimental work.”

This seems like an interesting concept. Has anyone read this yet?

Share This