French California art history and the Bohemian culture of the French Gold settlers.

Book Title: Barbizon by the Pacific — The Early Days of Monterey’s Bohemian Art Colony with Jules Tavernier, Jules Simoneau, & Robert Louis Stevenson

“This book is an engaging journey through the late 1800s documenting the creative lives and experiences of early Monterey’s artists, shop keepers, tavern managers and their relationships that led to the influential French Bohemian art colony in Monterrey still influencing California and artists today.”

—Publisher

How did Monterey and Carmel’s art colony get started? 

How much impact did a few vagabond artists from France really have? When and how was plain-air painting introduced in California? What is it and why did it excite San Francisco painters and journalists so much? What did Stevenson’s friendship with one of these French Bohemians have to do with it? Are there still traces of those exciting times?

Those who love Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, will get a new look at the history of these communities, unexpected anecdotes about early riotous residents, including the Bard, and proof of how and why these sites sparked inspiration in the same way as the small rural towns around Paris—like Barbizon.

We are a team of two writers, one in California, Claudine Chalmers, one in France, Guy de Rougemont. Claudine has been on the trail of 19th century French artists in California for decades and wrote four books on the subject. Guy is a journalist and author with a degree from Berkeley and an RLS aficionado.

We love this story and put our hearts into it. We have ferreted out little-known illustrations, unexpected facts, and we spun them into a tale that shows how a convergence of talents can at times change the world.We put our hearts into this story. It is full of little-known illustrations and brightly printed paintings, and uncovers surprising historic connections that expose the tale of converging talents that ultimately changed the world.

Early release editions SOLD OUT!

Now Available for direct order & Signed copies available from the author.

Click here to open the ORDER FORM for the book…