Paris in Ruins

Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism

De: Sebastian Smee

Narrado por: Julian Elfer

From the summer of 1870 to the spring of 1871, famously dubbed the "Terrible Year" by Victor Hugo, Paris and its people were besieged, starved, and forced into surrender by Germans-then imperiled again as radical republicans established a breakaway Commune, ultimately crushed by the French Army after bloody street battles and the burning of central Paris.

In stirring and exceptionally vivid prose, Sebastian Smee tells the story of those dramatic days through the eyes of great figures of Impressionism. Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, and Edgar Degas were trapped in Paris during the siege and deeply enmeshed in its politics. Others, including Pierre-August Renoir, joined regiments outside of the capital, while Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro fled the country just in time. In the aftermath, these artists developed a newfound sense of the fragility of life. That feeling for transience-reflected in Impressionism's emphasis on fugitive light, shifting seasons, glimpsed street scenes, and the impermanence of all things-became the movement's great contribution to the history of art.

Incisive and absorbing, Paris in Ruins captures the shifting passions and politics of the art world, revealing how the siege and the chaos of the Commune had a profound impact on modern art, and how artistic genius can emerge from darkness and catastrophe.

©2024 Sebastian Smee (P)2024 Tantor

The author’s crisp prose and the fluidity of the narrative

A flawless and captivating account of the cultural, artistic and political background which brought about impressionism

Instructs & delights

I’m a huge reader, but not especially either an art or history buff. Paris in Ruins inspires me to read more of both.

Superb history of a unique time

If you're interested in art history or French history (or both), this is a superb read. I learned so much about the birth of impressionism, and about the key roles of Manet (better known) and Morisot (less well known). And I knew very little about the absolutely tumultuous time in which these artists worked and in which the movement was born. And the narration is terrific. Highly recommend.

The perspective of Berthe Morisot

I enjoyed learning about the allegiances of the impressionist painters with the Republicans and also learning more about that period of Parisian history.

Outstanding combination of History, impressionism, and romance

I really had no idea what I was getting into when the title and summary grabbed my attention… but the book certainly exceeded my expectations. I knew a little about the Franco Prussian war… Except that France lost… and even less about the social and artistic repercussions. Not anymore. Can't say it is a a scintillating page turner but exceedingly informative, very interesting and quite an education.