Intentions and Inventions of Impressionism
Impression, Sunrise, 1872
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
48 cm × 63 cm, oil on canvas
Musée Marmottan
I am starting the
Art Appreciation blog in April of 2024, the year in which, France (where I
am), and the art-loving world celebrate 150 years of Impressionism. In April
1874 in Paris, a group of artists presented their paintings as an independent
group which would be known from then as the first Impressionist
exhibition.
This one-year
self-assignment helps me organize my research, curiosity, and
knowledge on this topic. I will explore different aspects of Impressionism,
focusing on its ground-breaking aspirations and inventions and including at
least 150 paintings as examples for those analyses. I intend to explore less-known (by an average art appreciator, not an art historian) Impressionist stories and try to make connections to the present day.
Studying Art History courses in Oxford's continuing education program sparked the curiosity and joy of reading more about art history. At this point, it became a necessity to organize my findings. Blog as a form allows me to constantly refresh my content, including links to current and old exhibitions as well as paintings' locations.
The exhilarating feeling of jumping into a rabbit hole of research (in my case in English, French, and ex-Yugoslav languages) will in this way give me a way out of it, by putting findings into thematic stories and finding new connections across time, space, and people.
My research process is as important to me as the answers and stories I find. The Internet can help, but without the History of Art books, one stays on the surface with information that doesn't connect to a story. I wanted to understand on a deeper level this period, this group of artists, and through them understand better how society, history, economy, and social connections build up to bring about change. I never used Chat GPT or any other AI tool for questions, for me discovering is about opening new questions not getting quick responses.
I am lucky to know several real art historians who are much more knowledgeable, and generous enough to read my writings and give me feedback. I would like to name them here once I get their permission.
Most of all, I
want to thank my husband, Michael Pillsbury, for his endless support and for saving me from making unforgivable mistakes in English as my second language. Michael also loves art and, in a way, he is my ideal blog reader. He cannot
save me though from embarrassing myself with this blog. He says I won't. Cheers to all the supportive and subjective partners out there.
I intend to have fun with this project, hoping to sprinkle and share joy with friends and people who still believe that beauty can save the world. So, if you are curious about art and you might enjoy a short art story occasionally, join me on this voyage. It is another opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of Impressionist paintings, which have forever changed the art world and opened the door for modern art. This project attempts to provide some space for reflection, new discoveries, and using the internet in every other way but self-validation.
Enjoy the trip...
About the painting at the top:
