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100th Anniversary of The Passing of Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919)
The next Sunday, 3rd December 2019, marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of one of the greatest artists in the world, Pierre-Auguste Renoir. We miss him so much!
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Berthe Morisot
Der untenstehende Text ist ein Auszug aus dem Impressionismus von Nathalia Brodskaya, herausgegeben von Parkstone International. Eine Frau, die malt, war um die Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts eine seltene Erscheinung, und in den Kreisen, die die offizielle Kunst ablehnten, etwas ganz Außergewöhnliches. Berthe Morisot nahm an den meisten Ausstellungen der Impressionisten teil. Ihr „sehr schöner Platz mitten unter den anderen Impressionisten“ (Venturi Bd. 2, S. 320) fand bei der Kritik eine Anerkennung, in die sich nicht wenig französische Galanterie mischte. Georges Rivière zum Beispiel fand ihr Talent „so reizend und so weiblich“ und urteilte: „Ihr Auge ist von außerordentlicher Sensibilität“ (ebd., S. 319). Und Philippe Burty schätzte den Reiz ihres Werks so…
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Berthe Morisot
A woman painter was a rare phenomenon in the mid nineteenth century and in the aesthetic camp hostile to official art, there was only one. Berthe Morisot participated in most of the Impressionist’s exhibitions. Berthe Morisot was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Jean-Honoré Fragonard and the artist painter Marguerite Gérard were distant relatives on her father’s side. Her father, Edmé Tiburce Morisot, held senior administrative positions. Berthe was born on 14 January 1841 in Bourges, in the administrative region of the Cher, because her father was then prefect of the Cher. Her mother, Marie-Cornélie Thomas, also from a prominent family, was the daughter of an inspector of…
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Shelley’s Art Musings – Claude Monet
The 11th November is Armistice Day, and this year marks 100 years of this monumental date, but did you know that Monet presented “Water Lilies” to the state as a monument of peace. This was done by writing to the Prime Minister and his friend George Clemenceau. The pair had been friends for over 30 years, and in Monet’s letter he wrote: “I am on the verge of finishing two decorative panels which I want to sign on Victory day, and am writing to ask you if they could be offered to the State with you acting as intermediary.” On November 14th this year, the Musee Orangerie will be holding…
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Degas: Léger comme le tutu d’un petit rat d’Opéra de Paris
Exposition : The Art of pastel from Degas to Redon Date : 15 Septembre 2017 − 8 Avril 2018 Lieu : Petit Palais Répétition sur scène, vers 1874. Pastel, plume et encre sur papier crème, collé sur toile, 54,3 x 73 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art , New York. Dans le cercle des impressionnistes, c’est de Renoir que Degas fut le plus proche : tous deux préférèrent comme motif de leur peinture le Paris vivant de leur époque. Degas ne passa pas par l’atelier de Gleyre et fit probablement connaissance avec les futurs impressionnistes au café Guerbois. On ne sait pas exactement où il rencontra Manet. Peut-être furent-il présentés l’un…
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Degas: Light as a Tutu of a Ballet Student of the Paris Opers
Exhibition: The Art of Pastel From Degas to Redon Date: 15 September 2017 – 8 April 2018 Venue: Le Petit Palais Edgar Degas was closest to Pierre-Auguste Renoir in the Impressionist’s circle, for both favoured the animated Parisian life of their day as a motif in their paintings. Degas did not attend Charles Gleyre’s studio; most likely he first met the future Impressionists at the Café Guerbois. It is not known exactly where he met Édouard Manet. Perhaps they were introduced to one another by a mutual friend, the engraver Félix Bracquemond, or perhaps Manet, struck by Degas’ audacity, first spoke to him at the Louvre in 1862. Two months…
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Degas: The Impressionist that Wasn’t
When is an Impressionist not an Impressionist? Answer: when that Impressionist is Edgar Degas. Degas is considered to be one of the key participants in the Impressionist movement; however, he took objection to this and tried to distance himself as much as possible from being characterised in this manner. Whilst his contemporaries delighted in spontaneity, bright colours, and the effect of light, Degas maintained that his art was completely devoid of spontaneity. The study of the old masters and an interest in realism and composition, this is what shaped the artist’s work and style. This evolution in personal style and approach to art is reflected in the change in genre…
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Let’s Be Alone Together
You know what one of my favourite movies of all time is? Closer. It’s dark, it’s dirty, it’s intimate, it’s lonely, it’s sad, it’s beautiful, it’s true. “Anna’s” photography exhibit is one I would have visited again and again – you know, if it had been real – especially the image of “Alice”. What other artist makes me feel all of the same emotions? The Impressionist/Realist, Gustave Caillebotte. Caillebotte’s On the Pont de l’Europe (below), to me anyway, represents a man that has lost something near to him, whether he threw it away or it crumbled into a pile of rubble, the point is that he stands alone on this…
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Impressionist, and proud
Underdogs have taken note and reclaimed terms that were once hurtful or derisory: ‘queer’ has become a positive label for the LGBT community, ‘nerd’ and ‘geek’ are no longer insults but badges of honour (thanks in part to the Gleeks), ‘slut walk’ participants have tried to de-stigmatise the word, and the Tea Party movement’s ‘tea-baggers’…well, that’s a bad example. But this ‘current’ propensity for linguistic reappropriation is not such a modern phenomenon… The Impressionists came to be known as such after a 10-year battle for recognition. In 19th-century France, artistic esteem could only be attained by recognition by the Academy of Fine Arts and the displaying of their artwork in…
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Caillebotte: Sugar Daddy of Impressionism
During his time, Gustave Caillebotte was known as a great supporter of the Impressionist movement. He had quite a bit of money due to a hefty allowance and inheritance from his father, which allowed him to purchase the works of his fellow Impressionists, subsidise several exhibitions, and even pay the rent for Monet’s studio. It wasn’t until after his death that Caillebotte was finally recognised as one of the great masters of Impressionism rather than simply a piggy bank for his friends. I suppose it’s typical for artists not to receive recognition and acclaim during their time, but it’s too bad that Caillebotte’s groundbreaking style, a mix between Realism and…
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