First published 2009
Paris, 1880. Pierre-Auguste Renoir envisions his greatest painting: a large canvas blazing with color and summer sunlight. The artist works against time as autumn approaches and the precious light begins to shift. Money troubles plague him as always, but a more pressing problem emerges. Renoir discovers he needs something beyond technical skill to transform his vision into genius. He must find new love, for only when happiness fills his heart can he capture the true beauty of his era on canvas. The painter's race against the changing seasons becomes a search for the emotional inspiration that will elevate his work from mere competence to brilliance. As days grow shorter and light grows different, Renoir must choose between settling for what he can achieve or risking everything to find the joy that will unlock his artistic potential.
Genres: art, romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: artists, found-family, race-against-time
Setting: France, Paris
Period: 1880
672 pages · Paperback · Diana Taschenbuch