its influences and its impact

Series 8
7
In 1874 a group of French painters held an independent
exhibition in Paris. Later dubbed the Impressionists
these painters revolutionised art. They broke away
from conventions of subject and technique and
changed the way we look at art. A major exhibition in
Canberra, Turner To Monet: The Triumph Of Landscape,
looks at the Impressionists, their influences and
how they in turn influenced artists to follow.
The only merit I have is to have painted directly from nature with the
aim of conveying my impressions in front of the most fugitive effects
— Claude Monet
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Perhaps the best known Impressionist, Monet was a central figure
in the art movement. He was inspired to become a painter by artist
Eugene Boudin, who was an artist noted for his landscapes and for
his liking for painting en plein-air (in the open air). Monet studied
briefly at the studio of Charles Gleyre, where he became friends with
students Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Jean-Frederic
Bazille. Failing to have his works exhibited in the official Paris Salon,
Monet mounted an independent exhibition in 1874 that is regarded
as the first Impressionist exhibition. By the 1880s he had stopped
exhibiting with the other Impressionists and mostly held solo
shows. In his later years he turned to painting series showing
the same scenes painted at different times of the day.
Its influences and its impact
What is Impressionism?
Impressionist exhibitions
Impressionism is a style of art that was pioneered by
a group of French artists in the 19th century. These
artists were trying to paint an impression of a moment
in time, looking at the effects of light on scenery, people
and objects around them. The Impressionists painted
ordinary, everyday subject matter, mostly landscapes and
scenes from contemporary life that were often painted
in the open air. With the advent of photography in the
mid-19th century artists realised that machines now had
the ability to reproduce images from reality on canvas,
so artists should depict the world in a way that couldn’t
be captured by cameras. Their paintings therefore did
not show smoothly painted surfaces but were made up of
short brushstrokes of broken colour that from a distance
blend together. Even areas that are meant to depict
white or black are usually made up of many colours.
The popularity of Impressionist art has grown over time, so that
exhibitions of Impressionist works often draw big crowds to galleries.
Impressionist paintings are spread around the globe and shows
featuring more than a handful of important works are rare. Mounting
an exhibition is difficult because works by artists such as Monet
are extremely valuable and major galleries need to make special
arrangements to lend their prized paintings to other galleries. The
artworks need to be insured, carefully packed and transported. Most
also require specific conditions of display and storage to preserve
the art. While some exhibitions also fail to put an art movement in
its context, the National Gallery’s Turner To Monet shows a logical
progression of art leading up to, and inspired by, the Impressionists.
n Impressionist
paintings did not
show smoothly
painted surfaces
but were made up of
short brushstrokes
of broken colour that
blended when viewed
from a distance.
Claude Monet
Haystacks, Midday by
Claude Monet (1890).
Turner To Monet – March 14 to June 9, 2008, National Gallery of
Australia, Canberra. For details see nga.gov.au/turnertomonet
Bookings are essential for all education programs and school groups.
Entry to Turner To Monet: The Triumph Of Landscape is free for
all booked school groups. Email groupbookings@nga.gov.au,
or phone 6240 6519 for more details.
Picture: National Gallery
of Australia
Tree Trunks In The Grass
by Vincent van Gogh
(1890 ), Kröller-Müller
Museum, Otterlo, The
Netherlands.
Picture: National Gallery
of Australia
Impression, Sunrise (Impression, Soleil Levant)
by Claude Monet (1872). The painting that gave
the name to the art movement Impressionism
Why Impressionists?
Rocky Bay With Figures by J. M. W. Turner (c.1830),
Tate Britain © Tate, London 2008.
Picture: National Gallery of Australia
In 1874 a group of more than 50 independent artists held
an exhibition outside the state-sponsored art exhibition
known as the Salon. Among the paintings displayed was
Monet’s Impression, Sunrise. One critic, Louis Leroy, wrote
a scathing article under the headline “The Exhibition of
the Impressionists”, saying the painting looked unfinished.
Although he meant the word impressionist as an insult the
artists adopted it for their movement.
Haystacks In Brittany by Paul Gauguin (1890),
National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.
Picture: National Gallery of Australia
Post Impressionism and beyond
Influences on Impressionism
Impressionists were influenced by the growing number
of artists who painted real outdoor landscapes as they
observed them, as opposed to artists who painted
imaginary or idealised scenes created
in their studio. Artists such as British
painter John Constable (1776-1837)
began painting everyday country
scenes, with a spontaneity and
expressiveness that made the scene
feel like a fleeting moment in time.
Another influence was British artist
Joseph Turner (1775-1851) who
painted romantic landscapes
but whose studies of the
effects of light in his
paintings inspired the
Impressionists. French
Self portrait by Joseph Turner
artist Jean Baptiste
Camille Corot (1796-1875), particularly his landscapes,
was influential. Monet said, “There is only one master
here – Corot. We are nothing compared to him, nothing.”
French artist Edouard Manet (1832-83) was also a direct
influence on the Impressionists with his use of colour,
bold brushstrokes and choice of everyday subjects.
By the time of the last formal Impressionist exhibition in 1886 many
new trends in art were already emerging, inspired by or as a reaction
to Impressionism. Artists later grouped together under the name
Post-Impressionists exhibited together but had very different ideas
on art. Georges Seurat developed a style known as pointillism using dots
of colour to create highly stylised scenes, rather than the more natural
ones favoured by Impressionists. Paul Gaugin and Vincent van Gogh
rejected Impressionism’s objectivity and began painting with more
emotion, using colour more expressively. Paul Cezanne painted figures,
landscapes and still life compositions, showing concern for the underlying
structure rather than the effects of light. The Post-Impressionist artists
veered off in many different directions. Some took more emotional or
psychological directions, leading to movements such as Expressionism
and Surrealism, while others were more interested in pure visual
elements, leading to cubism and abstract art.
Lake Geneva by Camille Corot (1839),
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.
Picture: National Gallery of Australia
Holiday Sketch At Coogee by Tom Roberts (1888).
Picture: Art Gallery Of NSW
Impressionism in Australia
Australian artists were influenced by the Impressionists. English-born,
Australia-based artist Tom Roberts (1856-1931) spent time in Europe
soaking up influences, hearing about the ideas of the Impressionists.
He returned to Australia to spread these ideas to an influential group of
painters, including Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder, Frederick McCubbin
and Jane Sutherland. Roberts and McCubbin were both students of Eugene
Von Guerard who painted many wilderness scenes and showed a concern
with light. Australia’s climate was well suited to painting in the open air,
the fashion favoured by the French Impressionists, and the Australian
Impressionists produced some of the most memorable scenes of late 19th
century Australia. Roberts most famous paintings are The Shearing Of The
Rams and The Golden Fleece, showing a typical scene from rural Australia.
Find out more
Bush Fire Between Mt Elephant And Timboon by Eugene Von Guerard (1859),
Ballarat Fine Art Gallery.
Lucerne, Saint-Denis by Georges Seurat (1885),
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh.
Picture: National Gallery of Australia
Picture: National Gallery of Australia
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Sources and further study:
Impressionism: Origins, Practice, Reception by Belinda Thompson
(Thames & Hudson)
Artists In Profile: Impressionists by Jeremy Wallis (Heinemann)
Encyclopedia Britannica
Editor: TROY LENNON Designer: PAUL LEIGH
Competition closes midnight 31/3/08.
NSW permit number LTPM/08/20337.
Tuesday 11.30am on