The Birth of French Impressionism
Summary
Social contexts and inspirations
French Impressionism, that radical and innovative artistic movement born in Paris in the 1860s was a product of its time and context. The term, coined by the Louis Leroy in his stinging critique of Monet’s Impression: Soleil Levant, underlined the movement’s conscious rejection of Academy and the establishment with its focus on lines, details and traditional motifs. The core of artists, Monet, Sisley, Renoir and Bazille, who developed common aesthetics, painted with broken brush strokes with unblended pigments and worked in the plain air in order to capture accurate directions of lights. They painted with vibrant pigments first developed in the beginning of the century and focused on ordinary subjects, rather than lofty religious or mythological themes. Fuelled by the increased interest on the individual in the 19th century, Impressionists moved away from verisimilitude and the depictions of objects in detail and focused instead on the impression which subject matters made on the viewer. This tour explores the birth of the movement, from the days in which painters displayed their art in independent exhibits, the Salon des Refuses, to their acceptance. It will examine revolutionary paintings, such as Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur L'herbe, as well as iconic paintings such as Sisley’s La Seine au Point du jour and Degas’ L’Absinthe in order to explore the movement’s aims and aesthetics. Following the footsteps of these artists, the tour also takes you to locations which were inspirational to Impressionists, such as the Bois de Boulogne and the Gare Saint Lazare, as well as places where they lived, such as the Moret-sur-Loing-et-Orvanne and Monet’s famous house in Giverny.
Tour highlights:
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Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Professional Tour Manager
- Local travel aboard a private air-conditioned coach
- Meals as per the itinerary, tea or coffee with dinner
- Accommodation
- All taxes & gratuities
- Field notes