Description Above all, Berthe Morisot yearns to be a professional artist.
Chafing under the tutelage of traditional masters, Berthe is mesmerized by Paris' most revolutionary artist, the debonair douard Manet, whose radical paintings reflect a brash modern style.
Berthe consents to model for douard and in the process falls deeply in love, an affair that both must keep hidden from the world, for douard is married to another.
As the city of Paris is convulsed by the Franco-Prussian war, and dark family secrets are revealed, the lovers are driven apart.
Berthe, after enduring the horrors of a city under siege and suffering from recurring depression, marries douard's brother, the mercurial Eug ne Manet.
Quiet married life is not for Berthe, however, and she--along with her infamous contemporaries, which include Degas, C zanne, and Monet--develop the radical painting style that challenges the stifling traditionalism of the Salon: Impressionism.
About the Author Paula Butterfield developed and taught courses about women artists for twenty years at various colleges.
La Luministe, her debut novel, was awarded a first prize in historical fiction from the Chanticleer Reviews writing contest.
| Salon | Impressionism |
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