The Hammock: A novel based on the true story of French painter James Tissot
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The Hammock: A novel based on the true story of French painter James Tissot Details
THE HAMMOCK: A novel based on the true story of French painter James Tissot, is the story of ten remarkable years in the life of James Tissot (1836 – 1902), who rebuilt – and then lost – his reputation in London.By 1870, at age 34, he had become a multi-millionaire celebrity with an opulent new Parisian villa and studio among aristocratic neighbors near the Arc de Triomphe. Handsome and charming, his friends included the painters James McNeill Whistler, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Lawrence Alma-Tadema and John Everett Millais. When the Prussians attacked Paris that year, Tissot became a sharpshooter in the artists’ brigade defending the besieged capital. After a bloody Communist rebellion, fought virtually at the doorstep of his mansion, he fled to London.Amid suspicions that he was a Communist, he quickly rebuilt his brilliant career among the Industrial Age’s nouveaux riches. In 1876, Tissot took a young Irish divorcée as his mistress and muse. He referred to her only as “La Mystérieuse” and withdrew from Society to paint her in his garden paradise in the suburbs. Within three years, his pictures had pushed the boundaries of Victorian morality, and the British art establishment turned against him. In a debacle of friendship, fame and loss, his artistic heyday of painting a decade of glamour and leisure in London came to an end. The Hammock is a psychological portrait, exploring the forces that unwound the career of this complex man. Based on contemporary sources, the novel brings Tissot’s world alive in a story of war, art, Society glamour, love, scandal, and tragedy.Illustrated with 17 stunning, high-resolution fine art imagesCourtesy of The Bridgeman Art Library This title has received a QED seal for quality in eBook design. QED stands for Quality, Excellence and Design. The QED seal of approval verifies that this eBook has passed a rigorous quality assurance process and can be read easily on screens both large and small.
Reviews
"The Hammock" is a joy for the eyes and the mind, full of beautiful images and emotions. The artwork is wonderfully reproduced and the kindle copy allows you to enlarge the images to examine details. Prior to reading "The Hammock" I knew nothing of James Tissot, aside from the fact that he was a painter. The book is based on the true story of Tissot's life, and as such it is historical fiction, not a biography. Paquette does a nice job of explaining in the beginning via author's note just what parts of the book are based on fact and which are creative imaginings. Lucy Paquette did a very nice job of giving Tissot life, not just as a painter, but as a person. The story covers the tumultuous 10 year period of Tissot's life following the Franco-Prussian war. Ms. Paquette paints a picture in words of a man out of place for and disappointed by Victorian London's society rules. Through this book we come to understand the repeated rise and fall of this skilled artist and just how it has come to be that Tissot is not more remembered today.This book is more than just the portrait of an artist however. Paquette has woven into Tissot's history stories of great love and tragedy; infusing the tale with splendor and romance. She has also imparted to us a glimpse into the interactions of London high society in the late 1800's and of the intertwining relationships of the many great artists of the period. I really appreciated reading about how the various artists influenced each other and how their paths crossed. The settings and descriptions feel real. The characters are engaging, drawing you into their lives. I felt Tissot's frustration over his career, and his colleague's jealousy. The images chosen for inclusion in the book are lovely and complement the chapters well. The only regret I have in regard to the paintings included in this book is that there were not more images of the many great paintings referenced. I would recommend this book to those with an interest in James Tissot of course, but also art, historical fiction, art history, the Franco-Prussian War, and Victorian society. Full disclosure: I have been provided a copy of the book for the purpose of providing a review; however the opinions presented are my own and not influenced or dictated by publisher or author.Written for LayeredPages.com