Girl with Peaches by Valentin Serov, 1877
As the Impressionist movement evolved, it became a symbol of modern art and began to transcend national boundaries, inspiring painters in countries like Russia, Belgium, Italy, Holland, Germany, England, and the United States. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar examines why the emphasis on natural light and the depiction of everyday life became a hallmark influencing artists across the globe. Today, the development and practice of Impressionism is seen less as a uniquely French movement and instead as a major influence on the world’s visual culture.
May 13 Russia
Impressionism empowered artists to break traditional boundaries, fostering a variety of influences that laid the groundwork for future art movements. Russian Impressionists celebrated the lives, hopes, dreams, and emotions of the country’s common people, often focusing on national and social concerns. Artists discussed include Ilya Repin and his direct and immediate response to nature; Valentin Serov’s preference to work quickly en plein air; Konstantin Korovin’s portraits and street scenes; and Sergei Vinogradov’s landscapes and portraits.
May 20 Italy
The Macchiaioli group of painters did not follow the Impressionists' practice of finishing relatively large paintings entirely en plein air, but rather they painted small sketches out-of-doors and used them as the basis for works eventually finished in the studio. However, Federico Zandomeneghi created paintings that spoke to the influence of Edgar Degas, and Giuseppe De Nittis straddled the worlds of salon and Impressionistic styles to explore themes of landscape and contemporary life.
May 27 Holland and Belgium
In Holland, Georg Hendrik Breitner saw himself as the "people’s painter" and was known for his street scenes and harbor views. Jozef Israëls painted in a realistic manner and was considered one of the great Dutch painters of his time. Belgians Guillaume Van Strydonck and Émile Claus began their careers as Realists, but later their works reflected the Neo-Impressionist style known as Luminism.
June 3 Great Britain
Walter Sickert liked to paint quickly and thinly, avoiding a thick build-up of paint. His early works favored a dark palette, which eventually lightened as he matured. Sidney Starr was influenced primarily by the paintings of James McNeill Whistler, an important American Impressionist who mostly lived in England.
4 sessions
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