Paris Red

It is 1862. In the raucous streets of Paris, 17-year-old Victorine and her friend Denise are standing in front of a store drawing pictures when a wealthy man approaches them to watch. He invites them to dine. Victorine is taken with this man, and he with her. They begin a love affair starting with small kisses and walks through the city until one day Victorine knows that she cannot continue to leave him each night to return home. They become lovers, and she leaves her work and her friend to become his model, for he is the artist Edouard Manet. Obviously intrigued by this young beauty, Manet draws her into this studio and his life. They make love, and she poses for him each day as he draws sketch after sketch until he is finally ready to bring that sensuality to the large canvas he has waiting. Victorine begins to see that she is more than what she thought she could be. The wild abandon that makes up the Paris streets in 1862 can appeal to the teenager who loves French, history, or art. Teens who know little about Manet or the context of his painting of nudes will want to explore more in order to place Victorine within a context and discover more about her life.