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Nature, Life, and Art in Europe:
Nature was one of the great themes of 19th-century European art. Some of the most important developments in the painting of nature took place in France, where, from the mid-century onwards, artists often worked in the open air to capture the beautiful, raw, and ever-changing conditions of the natural world.
In this spirit, the painter Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) led a broad movement that became known as Realism. This approach implied a faithful depiction of what could be seen and experienced, in an attempt to create an uncompromising art that was true to a sometimes harsh reality.
The Impressionism movement emerged out of this environment. The first impressionist exhibition, in Paris in 1874, revealed a young generation of artist that included Claude Money (1840-1926), Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), and Camille Pissarro (1830-1903). This group remained true to the idea of Realism, but used spontaneous brushwork and vibrant color to depict the light and atmosphere around them.
Other artists explored Realist and Impressionist themes in the urban environment. Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Honore Daumier (1808-1879), and Jean-Francois Raffaelli (1850-1924) produced visions of Paris that remain among the most evocative scenes of city life ever painted. |