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Liked It “If you love art then read this book... I think it is a very accurate depiction of artists lives from the low to the high end of the spectrum.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“An excellent depiction of the turbulent time that gave rise to, in my opinion, the best period of art - impressionism.”
Sheri H wrote this review Saturday, November 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A bit long at times, the book follows the French art world of the late nineteenth centuries, particularly through Meissonier and Manet. Well done, but not as captivating as King's previous book, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling.”
Jen C wrote this review Thursday, September 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“If you love art then read this book... I think it is a very accurate depiction of artists lives from the low to the high end of the spectrum.”
Kathryn M wrote this review Friday, July 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Excellent look at the world of art in its time. The parallel of painters in Paris and France at this time is not always what we expect. Great insight into the world of Expressionist painters.”
Brad C wrote this review Wednesday, July 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“1804 - Napoleon is crowned Emeror of the French through 1873 - his death
Deb W wrote this review Sunday, April 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
If you love historical fiction the way I do, you will LOVE this book. Lots of history, adventure, deception & art...excellent”
“Great book. Interesting read on the Impressionists, the culture of France at the time, a great cast of characters (personally loved it when Cezanne made his entrances, or Courbet)...
Eids wrote this review Saturday, December 27 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
King writes a great narrative in interesting prose and manages to pack the book with interesting ideas about art, culture, the connection between avant-garde art and the establishment, etc. Also, is likely the best treatment on Manet individually I have ever encountered. ”
“His name opens doors to the most privileged places. Newspapers analyze his every move. Crowds stand in line just to catch a glimpse of his work. Is he Justin Timberlake? Brad Pitt? Barack Obama? Nope. He’s Ernest Meissonier. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone. This long-forgotten mid-19th-century artist is a star of Ross King’s The Judgment of Paris, which tells the story of the rise of Impressionism, the most dramatic “revolution in the visual arts since the Italian Renaissance.” When the story opens in 1863, Meissonier is considered the world’s greatest living artist. Known for his tiny canvases featuring horses, battles, and heroes of history painted in exacting detail, he had earned a fortune as the star of the Salon, the biannual exhibition of new art. He was celebrated not only for his paintings, but also for his meticulous method, which involved recreating historical costumes and traveling to battlefields to observe warfare. For one winter scene, he even covered the grounds of his estate with flour to simulate snow. If Meissonier was the Sinatra of the Salon, Edouard Manet was its Elvis. The style and subject of his paintings scandalized Paris. Manet’s new realism, which abandoned fine detail in favor of heavy layers of paint with “apparently clumsy brushstrokes and lack of clarity,” presented scenes of everyday life – the demimonde. And just as Elvis’ wriggling pelvis was cropped from 1950’s television sets, Manet, known as the “Apostle of Ugliness,” was shut out of the 1863 Salon because of hostility toward his work. King tells these artists’ stories in parallel. As Manet’s star inevitably climbs, Meissonier’s dims until he becomes only a footnote in art history. Crossing their paths and adding twists to the plots of their lives are a fascinating cast of well-known characters, including Emperor Napoleon III, James McNeill Whistler, Eugene Delacroix, Charles Baudelaire, and Emile Zola. King writes with a novelistic flair that makes this historical tale both entertaining and educational. The book includes 16 plates of famous works by Meissonier, Manet, and some of their contemporaries. King assumes that readers are familiar with many other classic works of art to which he refers, so the book is best enjoyed in the company of a volume of French art history, an art history web site, or better yet by a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book might not be the right fit for most teen readers, but those with an interest in art or history will approve of The Judgment of Paris. ”
Sassy Librarian wrote this review Thursday, June 12 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The best of his books yet. Great read if you are into the start of Impressionism and Manet.”
Debra K wrote this review Monday, November 26 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Snapshot history of the Paris art world in the 1860s, following two painters (traditionalist Meissonier and modernist Manet) to illustrate how art was changing and how Impressionism began. The book was a bit dense; it sometimes felt like he was introducing ten new characters on each page. But while I wish an editor had been a bit more ruthless, I still found the overall narrative interesting.”
JulieK wrote this review Tuesday, September 25 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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