Luncheon of the Boating Party

One of the nicest things about being retired is being able to stay in on a coooold morning and finish a good book! This morning I stayed in to read Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party. I got to hear Ms. Vreeland speak at LCPL's author lunches series (another perk of retirement). It's the story of how Renoir decided to paint the picture, chose the models from among his friends and acquaintences, and stories about the different people in the painting. There's also a good bit of background on the Impressionist movement, Paris and France at the time. She read from the book and talked about her research of the characters in France - there's a chore, having to spend all that time in Paris and the Louvre - sigh! The book is a very enjoyable read, well written and moves right along, giving insights in to Renoir's creative process as well as his personal inspirations. This would be a good book for students of art, France and French culture as well.