For the 34th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Sebastian Smee, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic for The Washington Post and author of "Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism,” published by W. W. Norton.

This fascinating conversation explores the violent political upheavals of 1870-71 Paris — the Siege of Paris and the Paris Commune — and how they influenced the Impressionist movement. Smee shares insights into the lives of the artists who survived these dramatic days, including Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, who were trapped in Paris; Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Frédéric Bazille, who joined regiments outside of the capital; and Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, who fled the country just in time.

Through rigorous research into personal letters and historical documents, Smee illuminates the human context behind familiar masterpieces of light created during this dark period. He offers a fresh perspective on why the Impressionists, with their newfound sense of the fragility of life, turned toward transient subjects of modern life, leisure, fleeting moments and the impermanence of all things in the aftermath of such devastating events.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sebastian Smee is an art critic for The Washington Post and winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. His previous works include "The Art of Rivalry" and books on Mark Bradford and Lucian Freud. He was awarded the Rabkin Prize for art journalism in 2018 and was a MacDowell Fellow in 2021.

PURCHASE THE BOOK
https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006954

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"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications.

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden