Christopher Riopelle – författare

An exploration of the fascinating parallels and differences between Picasso’s Woman with a Book and Ingres’s Madame MoitessierThis publication examines, in detail, two extraordinary interrelated works: Picasso’s Woman with a Book (1932) and Ingres’s Madame Moitessier (1844–56). Each painting is explored in depth, illuminating the parallels and differences between the artists’ techniques and creative ambitions. The first essay tells the story of the twelve-year gestation of Ingres’s Madame Moitessier, focusing on the role of drawings in the elaboration of the composition, and of the sitter herself in determining how she was to be presented. The second essay traces the development of Picasso’s Woman with a Book, among the most celebrated likenesses of the artist’s young lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter. In contrast to Ingres’s work, it was painted in just a day or two. The final essay explores, through these two works, the artists’ shared interest in the relationship between nude and clothed bodies, revealing the depth of Picasso’s engagement with Madame Moitessier, which motivates and animates Woman with a Book.Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

An accessible introduction to American painter Winslow Homer, examining his work through the lens of conflictA fresh exploration of the work of iconic American painter Winslow Homer (1836–1910) through the lens of conflict, a recurring theme in his prolific career. A persistent fascination with struggle permeates Homer’s art⁠—from emblematic images of the Civil War and Reconstruction to dazzling tropical works and monumental marines⁠—and reveals his lifelong engagement with the charged subjects of race, nature, and the environment.  This publication illuminates Homer’s preoccupation with the complex social and political issues of his era—war, slavery, imperialism—as well as his broader concerns with the fragility of human life and dominance of nature. These powerful themes are present in his earliest Civil War and Reconstruction paintings, which explore the effect of the conflict on the landscape, soldiers, and the formerly enslaved. They continue through his later images of rural life, dramatic rescues, and hunting⁠—paintings that grapple with the often uneasy relationship between humans and the natural world. Toward the end of his life, human figures were reduced to tiny, irrelevant presences, while the ocean acquired a pivotal role.This richly illustrated volume will be published to accompany a retrospective at the National Gallery, organized in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press

Captivating artworks by renowned painters including Seurat and Signac are explored alongside pieces by lesser-known Neo-Impressionists, such as Anna BochThis catalogue accompanies the National Gallery’s first-ever exhibition devoted to the vibrant Neo-Impressionist movement. Organised thematically, the book interweaves the works of French, Belgian, and Dutch artists, painted from 1886—the year in which Seurat established the Pointillist movement—to the early twentieth century.The publication focuses on an exceptional loan of works from the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, The Netherlands, founded by the pioneering collector Helene Kröller-Müller. She was one of the first great women art patrons of the twentieth century, and her acquisitions and support of artists were key to shaping the canon of modern art. The book recounts the formation of Kröller-Müller’s extraordinary collection, before thematic texts explore the use of the dot in Neo-Impressionism; the relationship between the movement and anarchism; the interplay between Neo-Impressionism, modern life and entertainment; as well as the subjects of interiors and portraiture, which recur throughout these mesmerising works.Published by National Gallery Global Ltd/Distributed by Yale University Press

A celebration of Renoir’s imagery of love in all its guises, from seduction and courtship to friendship, camaraderie and parenthood. More than any of his contemporaries, Renoir was committed to chronicling love and friendship. Whether painting Parisian streetcorners or sun-dappled woodlands, he understood that emotion could be as fleeting and blinding as his other great and transitory subject, sunlight itself. Focusing on the crucial period of the artist’s career from the mid-1860s to the mid-1880s, this catalogue traces the evolution of Renoir’s imagery of love, from affection, flirtation and seduction to camaraderie and parenthood. Such themes are explored in tender and personal works as well as ambitious multi-figure compositions, including Dance at the Moulin de la Galette and The Umbrellas. Accompanying the most significant exhibition of the French Impressionist’s work in the UK for 20 years, this publication addresses the broad theme of Renoir and love through a series of thematic essays, interspersed with focused entries on key artworks. Exhibition ScheduleMusée d’Orsay, Paris (17 March – 19 July 2026)The National Gallery, London (3 October 2026 – 31 January 2027) The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (20 February – 13 June 2027)Published by National Gallery Global Ltd/Distributed by Yale University Press

Many of Gauguin’s portraits of Breton and Polynesian sitters, as well as his self-portraits, include inanimate objects. Intriguing as these are, the works in Paul Gauguin’s portrait gallery have never really been the subject of a thorough study. This book, first published in English in 2005, fills a gap in the scholarly literature on Gauguin, one of the leading figures in post-Impressionist art, with an in-depth, well-illustrated examination of his portraits. An array of experts on Gauguin’s art reflect on the symbolic attributes his models were endowed with, and the meaning behind the evocative settings he chose for them. The authors explore the many aspects of the artist’s portraits, often in light of the remarks he made about his models, and focus on their importance in relation to his larger oeuvre. This book, which is intended as a standard text in this field, includes essays written by experts in Gauguin’s work, all established scholars and researchers.Text in French.

Impressionism's British connection revealed. Familiar British scenery uniquely captured in the Impressionist style, by one the founders of the movement. This book is a richly illustrated, affordable gift in an appealing square format, ideal for counter display in-store. It is published to accompany the exhibition Sisley in England and Wales at the National Gallery, London (12 November 2008-15 February 2009) and at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, Cardiff (7 March - 14 June 2009).Although born and raised in France, the Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley (1839-1899) was in fact from an English family and retained links with his ancestral homeland all his life. In 1874, after his participation in the now - infamous first Impressionist Exhibition in Paris, Sisley enjoyed a stay in London. He painted lively studies of life and leisure along the River Thames - just as his artistic colleagues Monet and Pissarro were exploring similar themes along the River Seine. When Sisley returned to Britain in 1897, for personal reasons as well as artistic exploration, he was enthralled by the dramatic South Wales coastline.The pictures resulting from this trip were among the most boldly painted works he had ever produced.This book is a concise and generously illustrated account of Sisley's work in England and Wales, appealing to readers with an interest in art, particularly Impressionism, and British landscapes.