Impressionism and Impressionist Artists in Normandy

Claude Monet 1883 Houses on the Old Bridge. Oil on Canvass. @New Orleans Museum of Art. Promised and Partial Gift of Mrs. John N. Weinstock in memory of Mr. and Mrs. B. Bernard Kreisler.

Shortly after moving to Giverny in April 1883, Claude Monet began painting some of the local landmarks. The church at Vernon was one of these, and he would revisit this subject again 11 years later. Another very quaint, historical landmark he painted in the summer of 1883 is the Old Bridge; definitely worth a quick visit for anyone on their way to Giverny via Vernon. [Read more →]

Honfleur is a quaint seaside town on the Normandy coast. It is a popular tourist attraction today, and deservedly so. There are traditional narrow, cobble-stone streets that are still lined with old timber-frame houses that lead away from a 17th Century harbour. A wonderful setting for a few days holiday, or a great day out. Monet was also inspired by Honfleur, and that part of the Normandy coast. [Read more →]

It was in Paris that a young Claude Monet met other like minded artists, a group that would go on to create what is generally accepted to be the most popular styles of art, that is Impressionism. It is only fitting then that for Monet fans visiting Paris today there are now some of the best permanent collections of his work on show. The three museums not to miss are the Musée de l’Orangerie, Musée d’Orsay and Musée Marmottan Monet. [Read more →]

Camille Pissarro. The Artist’s Garden at Eragny, 1898. Oil on canvas, 29 cm x 22.5 cm @ The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C

Not surprisingly there have been a great many number of books written about the Impressionists and their gardens. Monet not only created his garden, he made his garden famous by painting it and the various parts of it over and over again. Until now, however, there has not been an exhibition that focuses specifically on the Impressionist artists and their gardens. A major, new exhibition, jointly organised by the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh (31 July – 17 October 2010) and Museo Thyssen–Bornemisza, Madrid (16 November 2010 – 13 February 2011), Impressionist Gardens, will change this. [Read more →]

I could go on talking about Monet for hours! I’m absolutely fascinated by this artist and by the way he painted. His paintings about his gardens in Giverny are mystical and mysterious, but also experimental and he kept studying on them. He could dive into a subject and paint it over and over to make it look exactly like the vision he had in mind. Monet was one of the first abstract painters, he was keen on experimenting and creating a new art movement. Arne Quinze

The city of Rouen is one of a number of towns and cities in Normandy taking part in one of the greatest festivals in celebration of Impressionism and the Impressionist artists in 2010. To mark this occasion in a grand way, Arne Quinze was commissioned to create an installation; he created Camille for Rouen, a tribute to Camille Doncieux, Claude Monet’s wife. [Read more →]

Frédéric Bazille Family Reunion. 1867. Oil on canvas. 152 cm x 230 cm. ©RMN, Musée d’Orsay.

The Birth of Impressionism exhibition currently showing at the de Young Museum in San Francisco is a big deal. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Make sure you visit the show this summer, or you may miss out on the most important show this museum has hosted since reopening its doors in 2005. [Read more →]

An oil painting by William Turner of Saumur, from the left bank of the Loire River (private collection).

I have just returned from a few days in the Loire Valley where I stayed with friends who run a wonderful and highly recommendable French holiday gite. The Loire Valley is World renown for its wine and historical architecture – most notably the extravagant castles, but it also has an impressionist connection. The above painting is of the castle at Saumur, painted from the left bank of the Loire River by William Turner, a British Romantic painter whose work is often regarded as a forerunner to French Impressionism. [Read more →]

Édouard Manet, The Railway, 1873. Oil on canvas, 24 cm x 19.45 cm @ The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
“These are not things that are in storage and are sort of being hauled out. These are [the National Gallery's] masterpieces.” Helga Aurisch, MFAH curator of European art.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, will host a major exhibition of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces from the collections of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. for the first half of 2011. [Read more →]

Claude Monet, Poppy Field (Giverny). 1890-91. Oil on canvas. 24 1/16″ x 36 5/8″ (61.2 x 93.1 cm). © Kimball Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago.

Claude Monet is not only well known for his paintings of the water lilies on the ponds he created in his Garden at Giverny, he also painted numerous fields of poppies, while living in Argenteuil and later in Giverny. No visit to Giverny in June or July should miss the many poppy fields surrounding the village. [Read more →]

The two museums that make up the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the de Young and the Legion of Honor, are hosting concurrently two exhibitions on Impressionist art. The Birth of Impressionism exhibition at the de Young has one hundred masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay. And, to provide a historical context to these well-known paintings, the Legion of Honor is hosting Impressionist Paris: City of Light. [Read more →]