Paris in Ruins

'Smee gives us such a handle on his two protagonists, Manet and Morisot, that they begin to feel like old friends... Enjoyable... a well-researched book, stylishly written, a fine portrait not only of impressionism but the society that made it possible.' —The Sunday Times

'Vigorous and enjoyable... a book written in buoyant and accessible fashion... It paints subtle and intriguing portraits of Manet and Morisot, chummily referred to as “Edouard” and “Berthe”, and delineates a tortuous course of events with admirable clarity. As a straightforward introduction to the field, it could hardly be bettered.' —Daily Telegraph

'Sebastian Smee takes us on an enthralling journey through Paris’s ‘Terrible Year’, featuring the vivid characters and fast-moving plot of a novel. Paris in Ruins intertwines politics and warfare with the compelling personal stories of two great artists, beautifully revealing how the brilliance of Impressionism emerged from a backdrop of tragedy and violence.' —Ross King, author of Mad Enchantment

'Smee has a gimlet eye, a seductive style and a novelist’s feel for character and incident… Sebastian Smee has written an inspiring book… about artists committed to "the new": new ways of seeing a changing world; new ways of living and feeling; new ways of painting.' —New York Times

'Sebastian Smee explodes a tired chestnut about the Impressionists: that their works are merely pretty. Like a restorer scraping off layers of grime and dust, he restores colour and nuance and light, and performs the vital critical task of forcing us to look better and deeper at things we thought we already knew.' —Benjamin Moser, author of Sontag

'Sebastian Smee brings a fresh eye – the eye of the art critic and historian – to develop entirely new perspectives. The drama of the siege reads like a cliffhanger even though you know what’s going to happen. Beautifully written, with a novelist’s timing.' —Andrew Hussey, author of Paris: The Secret History

‘Detailed, lively and at times richly novelistic… [Smee] writes with both knowledge and panache, transmitting the sense of urgency and immediacy.' —Literary Review

'Smee brings a fresh perspective… With exquisite sensitivity, he reads the similarities in [Manet and Morisot’s] work from this period.' —Washington Post

'The book well could change the way you think about Impressionism, and it might alter your perception of art history.' —Sydney Morning Herald

'[A] wide-ranging work of cultural history… Smee’s chronicle gains sinew as he recounts the deprivations and terrors of various artists and their families during the Prussian bombardment and the Communards’ revolt… The book’s central narrative follows two members of the Impressionist group, Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, offering an intimate portrait of their relations and changing fortunes.' —Wall Street Journal

‘Smee vividly conveys the terror of the times, the tense military standoffs and plotting, and the inflamed passions… his depiction of impressionists’ works is discerning, as is his sensitivity to the complicated relationships among the artists. Deft, vibrant cultural history.’ —Kirkus

'Vibrant and incisive.' —Los Angeles Times