M A S T E R A R T I S T S:
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I MPRESSI ONI STS THROUGH THEIR PAINTINGS
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THE A RTISTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
EDOUARD MANET BERTHE MORISOT EDGAR DEGAS CLAUDE MONET PIERRE RENOIR CAMILLE PISSARRO
7. MARY CASSATT 8. PAUL CEZANNE 9. PAUL GAUGUIN 10. TOULOUSELAUTREC 11. J.S. SARGENT 12. SEURAT
THEIR INFLUENCE ON MODERN A RT AS SEEN THROUGH THEIR PAINTINGS
IMPRESSIONISM The name is derived from Cluade Monet's famous painting, Impression Sunrise, which was exhibited in defiance of the Paris Art Salon. Meant to be a derogatory term Impressionism lasted to describe this concept of painting. Impressionism was however, not strictly followed by every artist in this book. However there are common traits running through all their work. A depiction of regular life. Everyday scenes were now worthy of paintings. Light, atmosphere and colour
became the subject too. Paint application was free and bold. You can see the brushstrokes. Impasto was now desireable. Painting outdoors caught the imagination. Industrial progress was depicted and the ugly was made beautiful. Art was democratised. The iconic scenes of the old masters were consigned to history. This was the people's art and nothing was sacred. Impressionism evolved as each arist chose his or her own path. Art would not be the same again.
1 . EDOU A RD M A NET
(LE Dejeuner sur l’ Herbe – 1863) Manet’s most famous painting and probably his best depicts a picnic in a garden. But no ordinary picnic. A naked woman takes prime position in front of two clothed men. Another woman appears in the background. It was of course the naked woman staring brazenly at the viewer that shocked the public. Even by today’s standards the painting is still powerful and daring. No surprise that the jury of the Paris Salon rejected the painting for exhibition. The salon rejected 3000 of the 5000 paintings submitted to it in 1863. Napoleon lll persuaded the Salon to hold another exhibition for the rejected paintings. Manet’s painting was included in the Salon de Refuses. Clearly times were changing and the Salon was resisting the change. Manet’s painting was a departure from carefully scripted safe topics. Instead he depicted ordinary people in a new and daring manner. Added to this was the method of painting. Now brushstrokes were visible. Paintings were no longer artifice. Painting was a workmanlike process too. Modern art had arrived.
2 . BERTHE MORISOT (Chasing Butterflies – 1873) A strong spirit made Berthe Morisot much respected among the male painting fraternity. Manet regarded her as an equal. Morisot painted in a fresh and loose manner that was able to capture fleeting moments of family domesticity. Sunlit garden scenes. Delicate and lively brushwork. No other artist depicted children as honestly and in such candid moments as Morisot. As she said, her desire was simply to capture a passing moment. This was also true to the impressionist aims.
3 . EDG A R DEG A S (The Tub, 1886) This giant of the Impressionist movement was, in truth, more than just an impressionist. A master of many mediums he was also deceptively modern in outlook. Influenced by the camera he adopted new and interesting viewpoints from which to paint the subject. His painting of horses, for example, was realistic thanks to the study of early cinema. He depicted women in considerable detail going about everyday tasks, or the ballerinas practicing and many other banal moments. Yet the way he composed the subject, cropping the scene, unusual angles added weight to the painting. He clearly empathised with the subject as can be seen in this painting of a woman bathing. A tender and honest moment free of innuendo. Degas shows variety of interpretation in this close up view. One feels like you are part of the scene going about daily chores. Another view of real life.
4 . CL A UDE MONET (Gare St Lazare, 1877) The driving force behind impressionism Monet was a prodigious talent from an early age. He, more than any other, made atmosphere the subject. His painting style followed the theory of visual mixing of colour notes to create a lively painting surface. Over time Monet’s style developed into an almost abstract representation of the landscapes he loved so much. In the above painting Monet captures the essence of impressionism. The light, steam and beauty within the ugliness of industrial development. All elements become one to create an event within the banal world of the train station. We can see through Monet’s eyes the wonder of the world around us if we only take a moment to look.
5 . PIERRE - A UGUSTE RENOIR (Le Moulin de la Galette, 1876) A friend of Monet, Pissaro and Cezanne, Renoir still followed his own path. An artisan and painter, Renoir was strict on technique and use of materials. He was not a slave to impressionist theory. Trying different subjects and methods to find truth. He is known for painting happy paintings, like this one. Paris at play and popular scenes. He also painted the nude with sensitivity and rich color. He was always searching for the ideal way to render the subject. In this way Renoir also had the classical masters in mind. Painting real people, but in a way that was transformative. Something greater was achieved than merely a record.
6 . C A MILLE PISS A RO (Boulevard Montmatre, Winter 1897) The father of Impressionism describes Pissaro's commitment to the movement. The only artist to exhibit in every impressionist exhibition. He was a serious intellectual yet a fatherly figure to artists like Cezanne and Emille Zola. Let nature be your guide was his motto. Pissaro wanted to paint the light, haze and atmosphere. Yet he was austere in his early works. Not as popular as Monet, but he ended his career in prosperity. This painting shows the light, the cold air and bustle of people. You can almost hear the carts and feel the winter chill. A strong composition holds all the light touches together. Everyday life is once again the setting for his artistic search for truth.
7 . M A RY C A SS A TT (The Boating Party, 1893) An American who fell in love with Paris, Mary Cassatt was liberated by the freedom that came with life in Paris. Impressionism helped her free up her painting style too. A close friend of Degas. she was also influenced by Manet and Courbet. Not able to visit the bawdy night life as a woman, she rather painted domestic scenes. Much like Morisot, she reveals the tenderness of motherhood. Described by Pissaro as "very able" Cassatt had excellent skill and feel for the subject. She also produced prints with the influence of Japanese art. In the painting above her strong design is masterful. The delicate child with the strong, yet feminine, mother shows Cassatt to be an accomplished and formidable artist.
8 . P A UL CEZ A NNE (Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley, 1882-85) Profoundly influential and later referred to by Picasso as the "father to us all", Paul Cezanne was not an impressionist in the true sense. He did depict regular people, landscapes and still life work in a new way. Light became less important to the design. The essence of shape emerged as he explored the structure. Fiercely private and stubborn he avoided the bustle of Paris to remain in his country villa. Guided by Pissaro and supported by Zola, Paul Cezanne did become famous in his later life. This painting shows the progress he made to render shape and structure with colour. Light and shadow disappear. His goal was to make impressionism durable over time. Did he forsee the direction Picasso would take this aim?
9 . P A UL G A UGUIN (Two Women on a Beach, 1891) Gauguin achieve notoriety later in his career with Van Gogh and his time in Tahiti. Influenced by Impressionism, but moving deeper into the mysteries of the mind. His paintings included more symbolism. More influences of dreams and icons. Conceptual ideas that would continue into the 20th century. More impressionist in the 1880's Gauguin incorporated religeon into his work influenced by the Breton colony in France. However the above painting shows his unique direction. This is not a tourist-like approach to island life. He depicted the underlying malaise, as he saw it, of hedonistic tropical life. The sinister underpinned his subjects. He never accepts things at face value. A truly modern approach to painting.
10 . VINCENT V A N GOGH (Cafe Terrace at Night, 1888) Packed with emotion and the torments that he carried Van Gogh's works are never a compromise. Influenced by impressionist masters of the late 1880's Van Gogh worked at a tremendous pace. Yet each work is carefully planned and completed with close attention. He used colour, distortion of shape and provocative subjects to convey as much as he could within the confines of the canvas. Thick impasto, sweeping lines, bursts of colour and exaggeration are typical of his work. This painting shows the emotional state as much as a night cafe. This is not peace and fun. There is danger in that oven-like interior where a man can lose his soul. Stars seem to burst like cannon fire in the night sky. A truly individual cahracter who made his singular mark on art history.
11 . JOHN SINGER S A RGENT (Reconnoitering, 1910) : An American artist who spent time in France and was also influenced by Spanish masters. He first went to America when he was 21 taking with him all the impressionist influences. He admired Monet and even painted him on several occasions. Sargent produced works in oil and watercolour, painted indoors and out and mastersd landscapes and portraits. He was accomplished in many areas of art. This painting, points to his love for outdoor painting. Sargent's careful mastery of gesture is evident. The eye for essential details to capture the character of a person. Stength in composition, lights and darks. It is painting with strength of technique and delicate brushwork. His approach was to render what he saw wihtout favour. Show truth as he viewed it, but not succumbing to post impressionist movement.
12 . GEORGES SEUR A T Bathers, Asniares (1883) Modern and monumental could be an appropriate description for Seurat's work. Taking impressionist theory to new lengths, thereby making his own mark, Seurat developed pointilism. A structured approach in design and application of paint. Ironically nothing like the spontaneous approach of impressionists. Seurat was more academic in approach. His paintings were either appreciated or derided as people tried to interpret this approach. This painting shows regular folk enjoying respite from th heat. A haze of atmosphere holds the scene together. An almost surreal feeling permeates the painting. Like a grainy photograph of a moment frozen in time. Although short lived pontilism continued to fascinate future generations.
JOIN IN This short book is part of my long standing fascination with impressionism. A movement in art that has given us the freedom to paint what we find beautiful, compelling and ephemeral. Whether in the studio or outdoors we have the opportunity to paint whatever we feel like. Painting is also a refuge from the digital world that seems more and more impermanent.
The joy of painting comes partly from keeping in touch with the old traditions. Painting is also a physical activity that is liberating. Join me for me for more, including free painting lessons at: www.malcolmdeweyfineart.com Facebook: MalcolmDeweyFineArt