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Two Days with Impressionists - a Hit and A Miss

Last week we took two days with Mary and Gilles to visit two sites associated with Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. One day was interesting and enjoyable, the other, not so much. A quick report...

Essoyes

Pierre-August Renoir spent summers from 1894 to his death in 1919 in the small town of Essoyes (pronounced "Esswa"). His wife Aline and his favorite model Gabrielle were from Essoyes (they were cousins) and in 1894, when Renoir had become successful - meaning he had money - he bought a house and garden there. The town, which is not doing so well (more on that later), decided to capitalize on his life there. They built an exhibition center with stories and pictures of the family life in Essoyes, and purchased and restored Renoir's house and studio. First, some pictures of the town.