Over the past few months I have been learning about the Impressionist Movement, and The Impressionists. While doing some research on Berthe Morisot, (who is currently my favorite artist) I discovered her daughter Julie Manet‘s diary had been published. What could be a better source for learning about the Impressionists than a diary written by someone who had grown up around all these amazing artists? After reading a couple reviews I bought a copy of the book. I finished it in three days. I thought the book was fantastic! It was filled with stories not only about the Impressionists, but also entries that almost anybody can relate to. The book is called Growing Up with the Impressionists: The Diary of Julie Manet. (This post contains affiliate links.)

An excerpt of an entry from Thursday, September, 1895 reads: “Certainly, I know I have many faults- I want to work hard at everything this year. Unfortunately after the holidays I always feel disposed to do great things; then, little by little, when it gets cold, I get up late, go skating in the middle of the day, have cups of tea, and the day goes by without my having achieved much at all. I don’t want it to be like this anymore.” I think we can all relate to that!

This book was not only the first book about the Impressionists I have read, but it was also one of the first diaries I have ever read. Julie started writing in her diary regularly when she was 14. She had written down a couple things here and there since she was 10 but until she was 14 it wasn’t on a consistent basis. I thought it was quite fun to read about the day to day life of a young woman from this era. I enjoyed her descriptions of going to all kinds of social events with her cousins and friends. They went to many concerts and could often be found at Durand-Ruel‘s gallery in Paris. I also enjoyed her opinions on the events she attended and the art she saw. In the safety of her diary, Julie was brutally honest about what she thought about things. I thought it was funny hearing how astonished she was when reading Marie Bashkirtseff‘s diary. She wrote in her own diary about how it angers her that Marie Bashkirtseff never mentions the Impressionists even though they were all painting during the time the diary was written. Her account of an argument between Claude Monet and Edgar Degas was very amusing. It also took me awhile to stop laughing after her entry of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, she explains how “he now has to go to his wife’s part of the country to buy a house that he doesn’t want to buy.” In her opinions on who the best artists are, she always remains fiercely loyal to the Impressionists, especially her mother Berthe Morisot, and her uncle Édouard Manet.

Julie Manet was an artist in her own right, though it is debated on whether or not she could have been successful. Most agree that while her paintings are charming, the influences of her mother, and uncle are just too strong for her to have been successful. Either way Julie Manet was an important figure in history, and thanks to her we have a rare look into the personal lives and opinions of these famous artists.

If you want to check this book out yourself here’s a link: Growing Up with the Impressionists: The Diary of Julie Manet