The Impressionists

Yesterday was a rainy, hot and humid day (and I also needed material for the blog), so I decided to return to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

I have been giving you a gallery by gallery tour of the museum, and now we have reached the collection of Impressionist paintings.  Artists such as Renoir and Monet are loved by the public. However, in 1874 when a group of painters who rejected the rules of academic painting held their first exhibition in Paris in 1874, they were scorned and ridiculed by many critics.  These artists who used loose, freely brushed colors to convey the impression of the subject rather than all of its details, came to be known as Impressionists.  

"Portrait of Romaine Lacaux" 1864

by Pierre August Renoir

Renoir was one of the leading figures of Impressionism.  This painting, done when he was 23 years old, is one of his earliest signed paintings.  The Impressionist Exhibition of 1874 that was to rock the art world, was still ten years away, but you already see Renoir's use of luminous colors instead of the darker tones of academic painting.

"The Apple Seller" 1890

by Pierre August Renoir

Here, in this later work, Renoir has clearly embraced the concepts of Impressionism.  The woman in the center is Renoir's wife, the boy to the right is probably his nephew, but the the little girl has not been identified.

"Frieze of Dancers" 1895

by Edgar Degas

Degas is best known for his paintings of ballet dancers.  In this work he probably used the same dancer in different poses as a model.  

 "Portrait of the Duchess of Montejasi" 1869

by Edgar Degas

Although we always think of Degas' paintings of dancers, he also made a name for himself as a portrait painter.

"Paul Lafond and Alfonse Cherfils Examining a Painting" 1878

by Edgar Degas

The two men, one who became a museum curator and the other an art collector, were good friends of Degas.  The dedication in the upper left corner reads "to his dear friends".

"Dance Looking at the Sole of Her Right Foot" 1896

by Edgar Degas

Late in life Degas did a series of sculptures.  This was cast in bronze using the original wax model after the artist's death.

"Villas at Trouville" 1884

by Gustave Caillebotte

This painting is a recent acquisition, given to the museum last year.  Caillebotte was a friend of the Impressionists, but his work was generally more realistic.  This landscape of a town on the coast of Normandy, however, is clearly Impressionist in style.

"Edge of the Woods near L'Hermitage" 1879

by Camille Pissaro

Pisarro was one of the pivotal figure of the movement, and he was the only one to participate in all eight of the Impressionist Exhibitions held in Paris between 1874 and 1886.  His portrayal of the sun-dappled woods uses diagonal strokes of unmixed colors.

"The Seine at Bas-Meuden" 1865

by John Jongkind

Jongkind was Dutch but did much of his work in France.  He was a pioneer in outdoor painting, and his colors and brushstrokes anticipated Impressionism.  He was a major inspiration to Claude Monet.

Claude Monet is arguably the most beloved of the Impressionists.  The museum has four of his paintings on display.

"Spring Flowers" 1864

by Claude Monet

This early still life is painted with painstaking accuracy.  However we already see Monet's interest in capturing the effects of light.

"Low Tide at Pourville near Dieppe" 1882

by Claude Monet

This is one of many landscapes which the artist did along the coast of Normandy.  The play of light on the cliffs and the water, and the luminous reflection are typical of his work.

"The Red Kerchief" between 1868 and 1870

by Claude Monet

The blurred figure of a woman quickly passing by the window give the impression of movement.

"Water Lilies" between 1919 and 1926

by Claude Monet

Monet spent the last 30 years of his life at his country home at Giverny.  There he did paintings of his expansive gardens, and his famous images of the water lily pond.  This enormous canvas (approximately 14 by 6.5 feet in size) is the centerpiece of the gallery and one of the museum's prized treasures.  It is one of three panels that were supposed to be displayed together.  The other two are in museums in St. Louis and Kansas City.

From here we will move on to the Post-Impressionist gallery which features artists such as Gaughin and Van Gogh.