Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

Here's one for the Fine Arts reading list! Vreeland is amazing. She took one of Renoir's paintings and made a 429 page book out of it. And it wasn't bad. Wasn't exactly fast paced, but what do you expect when you read historical artistic fiction? Did I just make up that subject?

Renoir is frustrated. His Impressionists are falling apart. Newcomers are painting strange things like beggars instead of bringing out the beauty everywhere. He's scraping for money and decides to paint a huge scene with 14 people, food and a landscape in the back. And he does it in a few weeks. Models come and go, Renoir falls in love twice, and what makes the book great is the interaction between the models in the painting. Renoir chose people from all walks of life and their conversation is stimulating. '

I kept looking at the painting as I read the book. You have to. I feel like I know the models now and can't wait to see it in D.C. next week.

I don't think this will fly off my shelf at school, but it would be a great read for students who like art or French students.