Spring 2014 Impressionist Exhibit The spring 2014 exhibit in the National Gallery in London will be that of “Color theory in the Impressionist era.” It will explore the deeper meanings, techniques, and goals the artists of that time were trying to accomplish regarding color. The goals of this exhibit will be to inform the audience about the selective methods in which the colors were chosen and presented, and why the artists chose them. The idea of color, especially in the Impressionist Era, has been essential in understanding the art of this time which has sparked us to create this years exhibit. We find it vital to the art community as well as the common museum­goer that this information be displayed. We find this collection to be important to our gallery because the impressionist style was that of emotion, radicality, and at the time, derogatory content. We feel that the harsh backlash of the mainstream consensus to the style makes it far more important in how art was to be considered and created in the future. The artists accomplished in capturing the emotion of the scene, with the short broken strokes, and especially through their color selection. Artists such as Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and many others will be on display, with pieces that epitomize the use of color in this era. Spanning from the creation of this style, to when it became the Post Impressionism era, it will give the viewer a sense of the evolution of the styles and techniques used by the artists. Pieces such as Van Gogh’s “ Night Cafe” (transported from the Yale University Art Gallery), Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise” ( transported from Musee Marmottan Monet), and Degas’s “ Place de la Concorde”( transported from the Hermitage Museum) will be displayed this spring, all epitomizing the Impressionist color agenda. With the Impressionist style beginning with Monet’s “ Impression, Sunrise”, the context of the time was important in understanding the art pieces. The styles preceding the Impressionist era were far more conservative in technique and approach. The romantic era set the standards for “good” art, with very visual correct pieces, which left little to no room to explore the techniques and ideas that later impression artists strived to do. In Europe, this style continued to as far as the 1850’s. With social

structures and society norms shifting in Europe and America, with events such as industrialization and the departure of Napoleon’s Empire, gave way to the alternative style. As the style grew with the development of the artists agenda, the first exhibition was being created. With the salon at that time, the requirements and standards did not fit to the impression painter’s works. In 1866, all the impressionists work were admitted to the salon. This was either due to their young age, or the fact they were not yet renowned. Harsh critiques were served to the painters, and out of many submissions by Monet, only one was selected. (Brodskaya 17) Previous to the Impressionist style, the Realist movement bridged the gap from conservative art, to the looser styles and techniques with pieces such as Manet’s “Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe.” The industrialization of Europe in the mid­ 1800’s was reflected in the art of the time. “ In addition to their radical technique, the bright colors of Impressionist canvases were shocking for eyes accustomed to the more sober colors of Academic painting. Many of the independent artists chose not to apply the thick golden varnish that painters customarily used to tone down their works. The paints themselves were more vivid as well. The nineteenth century saw the development of synthetic pigments for artists' paints, providing vibrant shades of blue, green, and yellow that painters had never used before.” ( Samu 1) Claude Monet was born in Paris in 1840, but at an early age moved to La Havre, on the coast of France. Growing up in this region very much planted a certain understanding of what nature and beauty was, from the sea to the shorelines. It is quite easy to see the trend of these childhood influences in his art, whether it be the renowned “Impression, Sunrise” or his other en plein air involving the water or sea. He chose a single genre, landscape painting, and earned a level of perfection none of his colleagues could attain. (Brodskaya 61) By the time he was 16, Monet was studying under Francois­Charles Ochard, a former student of the famed David. (Brodskaya 61) While studying in Paris, he would meet another future impression artist, Camille Pissarro. The influence of the schooling he received while in Paris, as well as the landscapes of Normandy where he spent years, crafted the style he is renowned for. as the 19th century reached it’s end, artists found that the Impressionist style lacked many traditional characteristics of picture making, such as form and structure. In reaction to this, artists developed a non unified style considered post­impressionism. (Samu 1) It took many characteristics and techniques of the previous style, and evolved it down a more scientific avenue, with precise color

theories. Styles such as pointillism and divisionism were created in this time, using precise scientific strategy, with much thought of contrasting and complementary colors. A painting that will be displayed in the exhibit this spring, and is one of the most cherished pieces we have received, is Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise.”(Oil on canvas, 48 x 63) It was shown in 1874 in the first exhibit put together by the Impressionists, also known at the time as the “Societe anoyme des artistes, peintres, sculpeurs, graveurs ( the anonymous Society of Artists, Painters, sculptors, and Engravers.)”(Brodskaya 7). Monet painted many scenes from his childhood region in France to ready himself for the exhibit. The painting depicted a blue tint or fog covering the air, with yachts and ships that take simpler, translucent forms. There were also small fishing boats represented in black silhouette. All of these were tied together not only with the blue fog and water, but with the rays of orange that streak across the water originating from a small orange disk sun. It was considered to be more of a rough concept done in oils very rapidly of the scene, not a methodical painting. (Brodskaya 7) It was seen as a spontaneous sketch. Monet used this very style to capture the fleeting moment of what he saw. He used the colors he saw and transmitted them to his painting. Previous to submitting the painting into the catalog of other works, Monet had not thought of any other title than “view of La Havre” which was inappropriate, for La Havre was nowhere to be seen in the painting. “Write “Impression,” Monet told the the journalist who was compiling the catalogue. (Brodskaya 7) The critique of the painting was not what Monet was hoping for. The reviewer was repulsed by it, and described the painting as “ shavings from an artist’s palette carelessly deposited onto a soiled canvas.” (Brodskaya 7) When looking at the painting, he is also unable to distinguish which direction was up or down on the painting. He was horrified by other works of Monet, such as Boulevard des Capucines. (Brodskaya 7) When finally published, the review made a complete mockery of the new­found style, insulting it with th e adjective, “impression”. Unknowingly using a word so fitting that it stuck into the style and entire history of art. An important factor to analyze when looking at Monet’s work, especially that of the sunset, it deals with many shadows. He was sure he could not just use the dull black and whites one assumes there is beneath shadow and nature.as Monet put it, “ It was that black and white do not exist in nature. There is color everywhere, one only needs to be able to see it.” (Brodskaya 70)

When Monet painted his landscapes he would often use his own boat that he transformed into a painting studio, immersing himself into the scene. This also gave the viewer that sense of being exactly in the middle of the painted scene. His techniques often included thick, broken brush strokes, applied with either a brush or palette knife. “The style demonstrates the techniques many of the independent artists adopted: short, broken brushstrokes that barely convey forms, pure unblended colors, and an emphasis on the effects of light...” (Samu, 1) This years exhibit featured here will epitomize what true emotion can be derived from color usage. The artists on display not only understand form and technical painting, but go beyond that in understanding how to subtract and simplify what they are trying to convey. While previous to this style, color was regarded as a tool in the arsenal of the conservative painter, while the artists among this era carried color with the most prestigious regard, front and center in their inventory to express emotion. Claude Monet will be an artist with large influence and contribution to the exhibit, displaying some of the most pertinent artworks of the time. Technique and color especially played a huge role in the development of the style, helping separate these artists from the traditional standards of the time, and you can see that in the works displayed.

National Gallery Of London Impressionism Exhibit Sam Farley