Events

Art in France around the beginning of the 19th century runs along the axis of revolution. After the fall of Louis XVII in 1793, the Academy no longer had a firm grip on artistic production. Artists responded to the atmosphere of social upheaval and change with growing creative innovation. The French Enlightenment also helped to expand developments in art. Jacques-Louis David, who was the master of Neoclassicism, brings forth the first in a series of "isms" which help to define the influence France had in cultivating artistic styles throughout Europe. As the power of Neoclassicism began to wane, painters such as Eugene Delacroix and Theodore Gericault pursued a style known as Romanticism which incorporated rich colors and exotic themes. By the mid-19th century however, painters such as Gustave Courbet and Jean-Francois Millet began to focus their attention on the quotidian struggles of the working peasant. By the later part of the century, Impressionism took hold. Artists such as Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro use a looser brushstroke and experimental approach to color and light to create masterpieces that are beloved today. Exploring some of the greatest artists of this time period will be the focus of this docent led talk.

IMAGE: Japanese Footbridge and Water Lily Pond, 1899, by Monet

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