Luncheon of the Boating Party

I joined a local Book Club to discover some new writers, to read in some new directions, to spread the word about books I enjoyed reading. Well, our book for next month's meeting is a true treasure!

Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party is described by Amazon.com as historical fiction. The cover of the book is a copy of Renoir's painting. Vreeland has taken his actual painting of that piece step-by-step and the reader reaches an entirely new understanding of what went on for him to produce the work.

So broke he cannot afford his paints, or to pay the friends who model for him, or to pay the owner of the restaurant beside the river who provides food and drink for everyone on several successive Sundays, Renoir struggles, living on his admirers' contributions to help pay the costs.

You learn about models having to buy second-hand clothing while a friend brings a distinctive hat with red poppies for one lovely girl, who holds a small dog despite the artist's reluctance to use animals in his paintings. Again and again, the reader flips to the front cover, or the inserted color copy of the painting, to see...oh yes, he didn't use the woman in the striped dress after all, she was much too difficult, and yes: there is the girl in the boating party blue dress wearing her beautiful hat with the red poppies, and a white ruffled piece that the artist is delighted to paint.

Our Book Club will tour the new Roanoke Museum at our May meeting to discuss this book. Again, the book is a treasure and a delight to read. Degas is mentioned several times (and not necessarily in a good light!) as are Renoir's contemporaries.