2026-04-08
42 分钟Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
I'm producer Mia Sorrenti.
Could one of Renoir's most iconic paintings conceal one of the most astonishing true stories
of scandal and tragedy in Golden Age Paris?
On today's episode, Catherine Osler, writer and historian,
joins James McCauley, journalist and author, to discuss Catherine's new book, The Renoir Girls.
In it, Catherine explores the untold story behind Renoir's pink and blue.
A portrait that captures both the glamour of Belle Epoque Paris and the deep occurrence
of family identity and upheaval beneath the surface.
Let's join our host James Macaulay now with more.
My name is James McCauley, and I have the immense pleasure today of interviewing journalist,
author, and historian Catherine Ostler about her brilliant new book, The Renoir Girls.
This is an arresting read from start to finish, and it is so many things all at once.
But most of all, it is a haunting family story that really takes us into the dark heart.
Of Europe's 20th century.
And it sits at the intersection of French history, Jewish history, British history, and perhaps most of all,
art, which turns out to be a language of beauty and anguish in this period.
And it is a real pleasure for me to be able to sit down and talk with Catherine about her.
True achievement with this book, which is a real masterpiece of research and also of narrative.
So Catherine, thank you so much for joining me today.