Synopses & Reviews
In
Life Studies, Susan Vreeland has written a deeply moving, richly textured collection of stories that explore art through the eyes of ordinary people. Rather than focusing directly on great Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists like Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, and Modigliani, Vreeland shifts her lens to those on the peripherytheir lovers, servants, children, and neighborsshowing their personal stories as they play out against the artists lives. Counterbalancing these historic stories are an equal number of contemporary tales in which her charactersa teacher, a construction worker, and an orphanencounter art in meaningful, sometimes surprising ways.
When a disillusioned banker sees his daughter through the eyes of Renoir, his senses and zest for life are awakened. Morisots wet nurse sacrifices her own child so another mother can paint. By modeling nude, a wife discovers her deeper, more compassionate self. In one enlightening summer, a young girl encounters Picasso and death. Together, the stories in Life Studies are a fascinating exploration of human frailty and resilience. These tales marvel at the lasting strength and meaning of art in our lives, revealing arts healing effect on the soul. Crafted with the skill of a master painter, Life Studies is a dazzling addition to Vreelands outstanding body of work.
Review
"Cumulatively...the collection reminds us that the bountiful promise of art is everywhere. Stimulating and enriching." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Whether she's writing about the fascinating life of a painting itself, or the complicated, tortured soul who painted it, Susan Vreeland draws her inspiration for her books from great art and from great artists. In this collection of finely crafted historical and contemporary stories, Susan Vreeland transports readers through time, from Paris in the 1840s, to post WWII Venice and Rome to present-day California, allowing them to witness the inspiration behind and in some cases the creation of great art both celebrated and obscure.
From Renoir's chance meeting with a young girl named Mimi as she watered the flowers in her Aunt's garden, to the deeply heartfelt story of Manet's wet nurse, to a young girl's discovery of Picasso, and to a potter's apprentice, caring for her ailing mother. In each of these magnificent stories, Vreeland offers a window into the personal lives of painters and sculptors both ordinary and extraordinary and examines the men, women and children who loved them, and the beauty that moved them.
In Life Studies, Susan Vreeland brings her painterly eye to the page again and gives us an enchanting collection of stories that is every bit as mesmerizing as Girl in Hyacinth Blue and The Passion of Artemisia.
Synopsis
In this collection of finely crafted historical and contemporary stories, Vreeland transports readers through time, from Paris in the 1840s, to post-World War II Venice and Rome to present-day California, allowing them to witness the inspiration behind and in some cases the creation of great works of art.
Synopsis
With her richly textured novels Susan Vreeland has offered pioneering portraits of the artist’s life. Now, in a collection of profound wisdom and beauty, she explores the transcendent power of art through the eyes of ordinary people. Life Studies begins with historic tales that, rather than focusing directly on the great Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters themselves, render those on the periphery—their lovers, servants, and children—as their personal experiences play out against those of Manet, Monet, van Gogh, and others. Vreeland then gives us contemporary stories in which her characters—a teacher, a construction worker, and an orphan for example—encounter art in meaningful, often surprising ways. A fascinating exploration of the lasting strength of art in everyday life, Life Studies is a dazzling addition to Vreeland’s outstanding body of work.
About the Author
Susan Vreelands is the bestselling author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue, The Passion of Artemisis, and The Forest Lover. Her short fiction has appeared in journals such as the Missouri Review, New England Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, and Tri-Quarterly.