Without much doubt or debate the Impressionists, mostly French artists, are the most well known of all artists in the last 150+ years. I’ve done posts on them before, so in these posts I’m concentrating on a few of their greatest hits that actually reside in the National Gallery in D.C. All these artists were concerned with how light affects the size, shape, and especially the color of objects, so they often studied the same object in different shades of light. Let’s start with Monet’s famous painting of his own garden at Vetheuil.
Monet’s Sailboat above and
Below is Monet’s Japanese Footbridge….
The woman with the parasol and the child in this famous painting is none other than Mrs. Monet and their son….
Monet’s multiple paintings of the Rouen Cathedral at different times in the evening became famous studies in light, as did his hazy painting of Parliament in London.
Next, one of the most popular of all Impressionist paintings— Renoir’s Little Girl with the Watering Can
I’m leading with these two artists because they are early representatives of this school of art who shaped the style, color, form of subsequent works by others. Here’s another one by Renoir
A good example of someone who followed the lead and style and content of Monet and Renoir, but is decidedly less well known is Gustave Callibotte’s work.
Of the same general era and softness of color and tone is the work of Degas, who was obsessed with ballerinas….
In our next post we will turn to very different looking paintings by Van. Gogh, and his sometime friend Gaugin, who managed to leave France and paint in Polynesia….
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