How are we shaped by the times in which we live? Consider artists. Amid tumult or outright conflict, they may vividly portray violence or, equally, deeply felt aspirations for a more peaceful world. They probe new styles and forms.

Today, writer Terry Hartle considers the forces that shaped the evolution of the impressionists in his lovely review of “Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism.” The book’s publication coincides with “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment,” an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

The backdrop is the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. In our current moment of unease and disruption on the global stage, it’s worth spending some time with what Mr. Hartle finds.