The Judgment of Paris

The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism

By: Ross King

Narrated by: Tristan Layton

Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

While the Civil War raged in America, another very different revolution was beginning to take shape across the Atlantic, in the studios of Paris. The artists who would make Impressionism the most popular art form in history were showing their first paintings amid scorn and derision from the French artistic establishment. Indeed, no artistic movement has ever been, at its inception, quite so controversial. The drama of its birth, played out on canvas, would at times resemble a battlefield. With a novelist's skill and the insight of a historian, Ross King reveals how Impressionism would reorder both history and culture as it resonated around the world.

A tale of many artists, The Judgment of Paris revolves around the lives of two, described as "the two poles of art": Ernest Meissonier, the most famous and successful painter of the 19th century, hailed for his precision and devotion to history; and Edouard Manet, reviled in his time, who nonetheless heralded the most radical change in the history of art since the Renaissance. Out of the most fascinating story of their parallel lives, illuminated by their legendary supporters and critics, King recalls a seminal period when Paris was the artistic center of the world, and a revolutionary art movement had the power to electrify and divide a nation.

©2006 Ross King (P)2006 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

"King is a master at linking pivotal moments in art history to epic rivalries....Supremely engaging and illuminating." (Booklist)

Excellent for Serious Art Lovers

This is an excellent exploration of the political, social and artistic background that led to the birth of Impressionism. It is a very detailed, in-depth look at the artists Manet and Meissonier, their work and how that work both exemplified and defied the artistic trends and political environment of 19th century Paris - the crucial time period that both shaped and changed the art world.

This is not a book for the casual art observer, but an in-depth exploration for those seriously interested in the Impressionists and/or the evolution of art during the 19th century as well as serious fans of Manet and Meissonier. Meissonier who, prior to this book, was rather unfamiliar to me exemplifies the ultimate, classically-trained French artist of his time. The author contrasts Meissonier with Eduard Manet who was was a key player in challenging the VERY strict dictates of the Academie des Beaux Arts in Paris. The Academie was the ultimate authority in mid 19th Century Paris as to who did or did NOT get presented during the annual exhibition each year.

This book gives an excellent, in-depth exploration of the numerous influences and happenings that resulted in the birth of Impressionism. It helps significantly to either be familiar with or have access (at least via internet) to copies of the paintings discussed here while King explores their significance and import. The beauty of reading a book like this today is the almost instant access the internet can provide to these works while reading the book. Its a bit like having your own personal docent step you through the foundational works of Impressionism, being able to see how one influenced the other.

I used this as research for a recent study tour I was leading to Paris featuring both the Louvre and the Orsay museums and I found the material here both well presented, fascinating and an excellent preparation for my trip. I've always loved the Impressionists and studied them for years, but this helped to fill in some of the blanks surrounding both their work and its revolutionary effect on the entire world of art.

Interesting from an historical perspective

The Judgment of Paris is a good book with very interesting views of the general historical layout in which these events took place, what the painters did and why. Where it falls short is in it's lack of immediacy and intimacy. It's a little dry. That said, I do recommend it. What it has to teach is worth while and I have a new appreciation for some of the artists involved.

Better on paper

The fact that this book traces the development of an important movement in visual art might be reason enough to recommend it as a book to read on paper rather than to listen to. Although the descriptions were very vivid and conjured up a fairly good representation of the works described (even works unfamiliar to the "reader"), there were quite a few occasions when I would have liked a closer look at the works alongside the descriptions. But another reason I might have enjoyed this book a great deal more on paper is the narrator, who had a very unconventional (and at times, not even consistent) way of stressing the many French words that populate the book; the erratic stress pattern became so jarring that I could not wait for the reading to end, even in the thick of a very well-constructed and engrossing narrative! The book on its own gets 5 stars, but its narration demotes the audio version to 3.

Manet was kind of a jerk

Definitely educational but it wasn’t a book that I listened to on fast forward! Great details about iconic artists of the period about personality, etc.

Compelling Listening

For me there is no better way to learn about history than the historic novel. "The Judgement of Paris" follows the parallel careers of the French painters Meissonier & Manet: one the most respected and sought-after painters of his day, the other a struggling artist who would eventually help define the Impressionist art movement.

The story goes back & forth between the careers of both men before, during and just after the time that the Impressionists were setting up their own public showing, after being refused from the Paris Salon. You get a real feel for the sensibility, politics, art and people of that period of time. All in a very entertaining manner, that doesn't feel like a text book. It's the kind of story that will have you running to the library or internet to look up the lesser known paintings and sculptures that are mentioned throughout.

Makes you feel there

Combines perfectly the historical background with the details of each painter' life.

Truly enjoyable and educational.

The french pronunciation of the reader was not the best.

Wonderfully researched, but to what end?

This was an easy one to finish, the narration is perfect and it was full of interesting information to fill out the period. As far as carrying through the theme, it felt abrupt towards the end and I'm not certain it achieved the goal of explaining the progress and ultimate primacy of impressionism. I would happily listen to it again, however, for the biographical information.

Try this!

This was my first experience with Ross King, and after "Judgment of Paris" I am hungry to read more of his work. I thought it was a very enjoyable and entertaining "listen". Unlike some of the previous reviewers, I don't speak French, and so, was not disturbed by the reader's poor pronunciation. I listened to most of the book at my computer, which allowed me to search the web for most of the pictures mentioned in the story. This capability made the book an interesting interactive experience. All in all it was a great audio experience that I would recommend to anyone interested in art, art history, or just a good story.

French pronunciation abominable

I'm a big fan of Ross King and this is an interesting history of a period of change in the world of painting. I would give it 5 stars if it were not for the narrator's incorrect and inconsistent pronunciation of the French words in almost every paragraph. This distracted me to the point that I found it difficult to pay attention to the substance of the book.

The painting that changed everything

An engaging narrative surrounds the events of the creation of the most pivotal painting in modern art, "Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe." Better known to Americans as "Luncheon on the Grass," this painting marks the beginning of modern art, affecting every painting to come after it. Everything about this painting was different and radical: the scandalous subject matter, violations of perspective, confounding multiple light sources, and most of all the style of painting. Manet did paint it in the draftsman like style of the popular painters of the day, but in an "impressionistic" way.

This is a must for any art history buff and an excellent story of French history for the less artistically inclined as well.