List Making in January

by Pam Everhardt Bloom Rowan Public Library

January is often a month of list making.  Add Lisette’s List, the latest novel by Susan Vreeland somewhere near the top if you’re looking for a good read with an interesting art twist. The plot seems simple, yet provides plenty of interest and intrigue. A young Parisian wife ends up in Provence to her citified dismay, with the task of taking care of her husband’s aging grandfather. The art connection arrives with the surprising stories of the grandfather’s relationship with artists such as Cezanne, Pissarro, Picasso and others. Add missing paintings, the Vichy regime and the landscape of Provence and you should definitely be entertained. An unexpected surprise was finding that I continued to think about art and our relationship with paintings long after the story ended. This also made me remember how much I like Vreeland’s other books.

You may recognize the author’s name from previous novels. A 1999 bestseller, Girl in Hyacinth Blue, pivots around a possible Vermeer painting. It’s almost as if the art becomes one of the main characters in a story that explores the power of this painting on the lives of eight individuals from present day to 17^th century. Although the painting in this particular novel is fictitious, I found the weaving of historical connections with the power of art in our lives absorbing.

  Luncheon of the Boating Party is one of my favorites. Narrated by Renoir, I was captivated by Vreeland’s story of how Renoir composed this masterpiece painting. The realistic descriptions of paint application, composition problems and details about the part his models and friends played in the making of this famous painting made me wonder how much was historically accurate and why Vreeland started writing about art.  Her author’s note provided some detail; however, I wanted additional information to better separate fact from fiction.

My turnkey approach to finding those facts is one free and easily accessible to patrons of Rowan Public Library. If you have not accessed NC LIVE with your library card and pin number, make this unique resource another important addition to your January “to do” list for the year. I found immediate access to over 3,000 possible articles about Susan Vreeland and her books and articles such as, Huckleberry Moments; an Interview with Susan Vreeland by Mary Menzel for Book Talk, Nov.1, 2007, gave insight into her writing process as well as confirming the validity of her research. Another interesting tidbit, Vreeland only started enjoying art books when she was too weak to read while recovering from a bone-marrow transplant. She spent months immersed with art and this experience eventually led to a writing career in historical fiction based on artists and their creations.

I thoroughly enjoyed Vreeland’s Life studies, a collection of stories about art, real artists with everyday problems and ordinary people who love and experience art. I really did like each and every story and although not every story was about a known artist, it was fun to attempt to place each story with its historical art connection.

Three other Vreeland books revolve around famous artists more obscure than Vermeer and the Impressionists. The Passion of Artemisia, is a novel about one of the great artists of the Italian baroque, perhaps surprisingly, a woman. Vreeland uses documented trial records and associations with the likes of Galileo and Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger to weave a compelling story about the artist Artemisia Gentileschi.  Another strong female character is based on Emily Carr, an early 20^th Century Canadian painter and naturalist who depicted British Columbia native culture and art in her own unique style. After reading The Forest Lover, don’t miss visiting Vreeland’s webpage, http://www.svreeland.com/, to view the paintings that inspired passages in the book. Last but certainly not least, learn more about Clara Driscoll, little known designer of Tiffany lamps in Clara and Mr. Tiffany. This book explores a turbulent time for women in the work force and the unseen designers behind famous names.

Find all these books and resources at your local Rowan Public Library. Add a Vreeland book to your list for 2015 and prepare for an interesting and thought-provoking read.