Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Can't get enough novels...

Susan Vreeland's novel, Luncheon of the Boating Party is narrated by Renoir and his models as he paints this beautiful gathering of friends at a cafe outside Paris on the Seine. Vreeland brings you into their lives and you hear their thoughts, stories and escapades at an amazing time.

They are setting up the table for his models before the feast which will be the setting for the painting and the owner is putting out their best glasses, and Renoir specifically asks for the glasses they usually use instead. "...They are made by hand, so they are irregular and have tinges of color. It's important to see in a thing the person who made it. I would think you'd want the best we've got. Machine-made glasses are a sham. The imperfections of handmade glass give each one a personality, a soul..."

Ah,so true. I believe the same thing. There is a magic in something made by hand. One's soul to shine through. I highly recommend another of her novels,The Passion of Artemisia.

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