From Luncheon of the Boating Party....to Faberge's Eggs

We had a very interesting discussion last night about "Luncheon of the Boating Party." I think we all appreciated the 'extras' brought in by Sharon and Fred - the books with plates and the web search materials naming and describing the models. It seems we all had trouble remembering who was who, but other than that the book was a good read for all of us. It certainly stimulated a lot of discussion. Thanks to Sharon for leading our conversation and to Merle for providing goodies at just the right moment!

I really appreciated the discussion, initiated by Bonnie, about the role of women in that time and place. One women's issue we didn't mention was Ellen's friend from the theater who had a botched back-alley abortion and was abandoned by her lover. I think the women in the novel had strong characters and contributed a lot to the novel.

I also appreciated the discussion about the lives of artists. The artists in the 3 books we've read so far were all womanizers and certainly had their strengths and weaknesses in other areas. It made for interesting reading, but the point was made that not all artists lead this kind of life - we just don't hear much about the private lives of artists (painters, writers, actors...) who don't make it a point to lead PUBLIC lives!

Our first three books were about individual painters. Our fourth book is more about the works of art, the context in which they were created, and in which they are collected. And we have moved away from painters to jewelers and objets d'art.

So I am looking forward to our April meeting and our discussion of "Faberge's Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire."