See also: [Impressionists [Ref: David Sweetman's superb: "Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Felix Feneon, and the art & anarchy of the fine de siEcle", ISBN0-684-81179-0 THis is soooo neat! I had already come across PEre's name in looking for Yves T. -- such is the nature of serindiptity ?sp?. I found that he was often willing to "give" artists paint and supplies, for which he would (graciously in many cases) take a few (often v. bad) paintings as payment, and carry them "on the cuff". So, we set the CO-ORDINATES of the TIME/SPACE CONVEYOR AS FOLLOWS: TIME: JAN 1871 PLACE: PARIS, TERRA PRESS: GO. For some odd reason (known only to the madmen that seem to *always* end up in positions of power), Emperor Napolean, III went to war and ends having MOST of France over-run by the Prussians. Well, except for this group of what I can only (in my own naieve way) can only call "hippies" refuse to yield the city of Paris. (meanwhile in Versailes, he government has taken a breather and is arranging the terms of surrender to Prussia). In Paris, a commune (refered to as THE Commune) is formed and held out against both the Prussians, and those opposed the *actual* implementation of Equality, Fraternity, and "the rest". Anyway, the seige ends, Paris is seized and all of those who felt betrayed by these "commune-ists" hunt down and kill almost anyone they find. Some how Courbet and Tanguy escape the vengence. We now fast forward to 1877, Courbet has died, Tanguy has (somehow) escaped execution, and these (ahem) "artists" -- like Monet (who was an early convert to Courbet's idea of painting OUT DOORS, not in THE STUDIO). Anyway, the official government has really clamped down and is trying to stamp out these so-called "impressionists" (which they were called since 1874, when a critic saw Monet's "Impression: Sun rise"), so here is Tanguy pretty much GIVING paints, brushes and such to these painters. Now for the zinger: Courbet is the *only* accepted artist to praise the ideas of the Commune, Tanguy is right there in the midsts of it all (in Paris, during The Commune) -- later he accused as almost personally being behind the toppling of the tower near the place d' vendrome. So, there you have it folks: Art is dangerous stuff, and the sooner that it stamped out, the better!!!! Unless of course it's nice *decent* pictures of fluffy bunnies, light houses, and of course the cute country-side cottages. You know the ones, with the little winding path leading up to it, and the fawn over near the brook peacefully sipping water, and the chain saw maniac cutting up grandma, and with grandpa no where to be found. WAIT a minute! That *is* grandpa hacking grandma to death with a chain saw; i just loves it when the whole family participates in great moments like this, don't you. And our show today is brought to you by Mega Ultra Mart -- bringing you more junk that you must buy, you must buy, you must buy, you must buy. Good night, peasant dreams, and have a wonderful tommorrow.