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Interesting historically. The artist in the story is a combination of Manet, Monet, and Cezanne.
I would say that this is the novel, par excellence, of the tortured artist, except for the fact that it is not. Zola's outlook here, it seems to me, owes much to Nietzsche and to Darwin, except that Nietzsche's artist-hero doesn't want adulation from the masses and Darwin's theory doesn't really apply to the "social Darwinism" which Zola - who employs the term "survival of the fittest" at least twice herein - presents us with here.It is a prosaic story of a neglected artist going mad: nothing more, nothing less. I'm not going to put it down to Naturalism or Realism, because all such "-isms" are question-begging.
This is all very interesting for, say, a biographer or Zola enthusiast, but it adds very little to the experience of simply reading the work.So, basically, this is a book about an artist with talent who, gradually, becomes possessed by his artistic vision to the point where the pursuit of art is no longer compatible with life. Shortly before his suicide, Claude speculates that, "The past was but the cemetery of our illusions: one simply stubbed one's toes on the gravestones." If this is the way in which I regarded my past, I would have ended things decades ago. This Oxford edition, as per usual, provides us in the Introduction with a "clef" for this "roman," so to speak, so that anybody who wants to review it will be fully aware that such-and-such a character is based on such-and-such a person in Zola's life.
They assume that what is "real" or what is "natural" is known or agreed upon, while, on the contrary - as Proust is not slow in pointing out - these are the greatest mysteries in life. Zola is a very competent writer, and my favourite parts were his descriptions of vanished 19th Century Paris, described with an artist's precision. But, I must say that I really don't very much care for Zola, at least as represented in this work.
To say nothing of Proust, for whom memory is the touchstone of a sort of eternity.
The Masterpiece is one of my favorites of the Rougon/Marcquardt series and my favorite book period with "Nana" as a close second. Most artists will be able to relate to this story, and will be truly saddened by the sacrifices Claude's family made for his art. It also delves into Zola's personal friendship which he will lose as a result of this book. A must read, I highly recommend this book.
An easy and enjoyable read. Vividly evokes the atmosphere of late-19th century bohemia in Paris,
Zola wasn't too enamoured with the impressionist and post-impressionist movements, this attitude he uses to great effect when depicting the derision with which the artists work was met. A number of characters share the stage, again most likely based on artisans that Zola knew: architects, artists, writers, critics. The lead character, Claude, is primarily based on Manet and Cezanne - both of which wouldn't forgive him doing so. Given that Zola lived through the whole period of when the Impressionists turned the Salon's on their heads this is almost a biographical piece. Being an artist this book obviously struck a chord with me. The story unfolds with their romance, Claude trying to get his artwork accepted by the art intelligensia, succumbing to the desire to paint THE painting, etc.
She is the impetus for the figure in his painting.
The opening piece which Claude has displayed in the Salon is in effect Manet's "Le Dejeuner Sur l'herbe" (1963).
The tone of the book is somewhat bleak but Zola captures the Paris of the late 1800's well.
For the various characters Zola merely drew from his friends that he would frequent the cafes and bars with.
The book conveys quite well what it must have been for them all struggling to get a toehold and make an impression on the Paris art scene.
The book opens with Claude finding a woman drenched on his doorstep, Christine.
She has just arrived in Paris and through one thing and another becomes lost and shelters from the rain in Claude's doorway.
I've never been to Paris but for those that have, the book is replete with names of various streets and districts across the city.This was the first Zola novel I've read.
It is well written and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys art, particularly from this period.
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