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Picturing a World

Lunch at the Académie Julian

How I am looking forward to the upcoming exhibit, Women Artists in Paris, 1850–1900 at the Clark Art Institute! I am fond of saying that writing historical fiction forces a novelist to ask different questions from those of historians, even cultural historians. For instance, where did a woman art student eat her lunch in 19th C Paris? That one figures in Where the Light Falls, and here is a perfect illustration of the answer from the Académie Julian. Often, they brought their lunches with them to eat in the studio. What a privilege to see it soon—not just in reproduction, but the real thing.

For another on-line view of this painting including its support from the back, click here.

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