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Summary: Paris Under Siege
Review: Lavishly illustrated, this book tells a remarkable and little-known story about how denizens survived the Siege of Paris at the height of the Franco-Prussian War (1770-71). It looks at the war through the eyes of the artists who recorded it, and of some who even fought in it. Privileged artists like Degas, Manet, and Regnault suited up and mounted the ramparts, even as they recorded the struggle of day to day life with their charcoal and paint brushes. We encounter other artists--Courbet, Puvis de Chavannes, and Rosa Bonheur--who each served France in his or her own way. Clayson is an excellent writer and storyteller. In her book, we encounter the endless bread lines, the staving masses who grew so hungry that even the elephant in the zoo was slaughtered and devoured; what role innovations in public lighting played, mail being sent by carrier pigeons that soared above the Prussian troops surrounding the city. Clayson is always sensitive to the role that gender plays in French culture, and we learn how gender roles were challenged during this stressful time. Vividly anecdotal and highly learned, this is the first book to explore the subject of life and art in Paris during one of the most critical moments in French history. A must for anyone interested in Paris or French art and history. And a pleasure to read.
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