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.

Impressionist Gardens is a collection of over 90 paintings brought together from collections around the world that is specifically devoted to exploring the significance, the origins, and the influence of the Impressionist garden.

Obviously it was the great names in Impressionism, such as Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Manet and Sisley who were responsible for this new way of painting the garden. A continued significance of which can be seen in the work of artists such as Cézanne and Bonnard, who followed immediately after the Impressionists. The influence of this new trend can then be seen in the way in which these ideas spread to other European and American artists, such as van Gogh, Gauguin, Klimt and Sargent, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Besides this truly ground-breaking exhibition, a number of complementary events and activities have been organised by the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh.

Impressionist Gardens is on show in Edinburgh at the National Galleries of Scotland from 31 July through to 17 October 2010, when it will then move to Madrid and the Museo Thyssen–Bornemisza (16 November 2010 – 13 February 2011). This will be the only venue in the UK to show the exhibition. For information about the exhibition time, including prices, opening times and buying tickets, visit the National Gallery of Scotland’s website, click here.

You can buy your copy of the exhibition catalogue before your visit from Amazon, cheaper than at the Gallery:

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