American Impressionism:
Impressionism originated in Paris in 1874 when the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc. arranged an exhibition which initiated the Impressionist movement. Pioneers of impressionism include well-renowned artists such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. Since the Impressionism was quite new, it garnered critics from conservative groups who did not quite find the sketch-like appearances of Impressionist paintings appealing. An example of this was when Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise was criticized by Louis Leroy as an “impression” rather than a complete painting which subsequently gave the Impressionists their name.(Margaret, 2004)
The Impressionist movement was well-known for its modernity and its portrayal of the modern life. It introduced innovative painting styles and techniques. These techniques included short, broken brushstrokes, pure colors, and focus on the effects that light has on the painting rather than just on white, gray, and black.(Margaret, 2004)
American Impressionism was pioneered by artists who had studied in Europe particularly in Paris where the European Impressionist movement started. Young Americans in Paris were at first quite scornful of Impressionist paintings for the same reason European critics had, that they were thought to be horrible paintings due to the fact that the paintings were more like impressions. Some American artists such as Mary Cassatt, however, were very much welcoming towards the Impressionist movement. (Weinberg, 2004)
By the mid 1880s, however, French Impressionists were losing their appeal. American collectors and artists, on the other hand, began appreciating Impressionism.(Weinberg, 2004) After the American Civil War, American art patrons who made fortunes by selling/exhibiting their works went to Europe to embrace its culture. They exhibited their wealth by building houses where they would showcase works by old masters. American artists who wanted to appeal to hese patrons studied in Europe particularly in Paris where the Impressionist movement was starting.(Johnson, 2008)
Characteristics of American Impressionism included asymmetrical balance, use of colored shadows, use of pure color, broken color or broken brushstrokes, use of thick paint, subject matter, high horizontal line, photographic influence, influence of Japanese
prints, and painting outdoors.(Florence Griswold Museum, n.d.)
Most American Impressionists settled in the northeast. Some Impressionists like Childe Hassam were fond of the urban life. They painted areas like the neighborhoods of New York. Other Impressionists, however, preferred to capture the energy of the countryside. American Impressionists whether painting in urban areas or countryside did not just exploit the effects of light and colors in their paintings but also the feeling and the meaning of the subjects they painted.(Weinberg, 2004)
With Industrialization, American landscapes were changing as factories were created. Some Impressionists who wanted to paint rural areas usually moved to art colonies such as Southampton Long Island, Cos Cob Connecticut, and Gloucester Massachusetts. These places provided them rural landscapes that Impressionists wanted to paint.(Akron Art Museum, n.d.)
As the United States became financially well by the early 20th century due to industrialization and the progressive era, some American Impressionists preferred to portray genteel subjects in order to look more sophisticated. Contradictory to their French counterparts who portrayed working and middle
class subjects, American impressionist artists chose to paint the “well-dressed, well-mannered high society.”(National Gallery of Art, 2011)
Mary Stevenson Cassatt
Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born on May 22, 1844 and died June 14, 1926. Mary Cassatt had a pleasant and financially stable childhood being the daughter
of a prominent businessman and having a mother who came from a banking family. As part of her education, she traveled to European cities such as London, Paris, and Berlin. Despite her family’s objections to her career as an artist, Mary Cassatt started studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts when she was just 16 years old. (Bauer, 2008)
At such young age, Mary Cassatt was very much determined to become a professional artist. Most women at her time were not as passionate about becoming an artist as Mary Cassatt. Back then, most women sought art for the recognition and the sense of achievement that it gave them. (Sharp, 1998)
Mary Cassatt studied under a number of arts masters during her time. She was a student of Jean-Leon Gerome who was a very prominent arts teacher(Weinberg, 2004) In 1877, Cassatt was invited by Degas to exhibit her paintings with them, the Impressionists. Cassatt delightfully accepted and started painting canvases to be exhibited during the 1879 Impressionist exhibition. Prior to the impressionist exhibitions, Cassatt preferred to paint in a studio rather than outdoors which was one of the characteristics of Impressionism. (Weinberg, 2004)
Edgar Degas was probably one of the most influential people in Cassatt’s painting styles. Cassatt already admired Degas’ pastels even before becoming somewhat of an apprentice. Cassatt eventually used pastels for her paintings. Edgar Degas had quite a substantial influence on Cassatt as through him she was able to gain a great deal of knowledge. (Bauer, 2008)
Mary Cassatt, however, did not just copy Degas’ painting styles. She also had developed a style of her own. Her paintings focused on intimate and domestic
relationships. She painted a lot about the relationship between the mother and her children. Her first paintings were very much affected by golden lighting.
After exposure to Japanese prints, however, her colors became “clearer, bolder, and more defined.” (Bauer, 2008)
By 1915, Mary Cassatt was suffering from diabetes. Mary Cassatt had stopped painting for she was living in “almost total blindness.”(Bauer, 2008) Mary Cassatt was an advocate of Impressionism. She helped support the movement financially. She pursued her brother to buy paintings of artists such as Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Morisot, and Pisaro. Mary Cassatt helped the Impressionist movement to become popular in the USA. (Bauer, 2008)
For an extensive collection of Mary Cassatt’s paintings, follow this link:
http://www.marycassatt.org/the-complete-works.html
Impressionism originated in Paris in 1874 when the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc. arranged an exhibition which initiated the Impressionist movement. Pioneers of impressionism include well-renowned artists such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas. Since the Impressionism was quite new, it garnered critics from conservative groups who did not quite find the sketch-like appearances of Impressionist paintings appealing. An example of this was when Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise was criticized by Louis Leroy as an “impression” rather than a complete painting which subsequently gave the Impressionists their name.(Margaret, 2004)
The Impressionist movement was well-known for its modernity and its portrayal of the modern life. It introduced innovative painting styles and techniques. These techniques included short, broken brushstrokes, pure colors, and focus on the effects that light has on the painting rather than just on white, gray, and black.(Margaret, 2004)
American Impressionism was pioneered by artists who had studied in Europe particularly in Paris where the European Impressionist movement started. Young Americans in Paris were at first quite scornful of Impressionist paintings for the same reason European critics had, that they were thought to be horrible paintings due to the fact that the paintings were more like impressions. Some American artists such as Mary Cassatt, however, were very much welcoming towards the Impressionist movement. (Weinberg, 2004)
By the mid 1880s, however, French Impressionists were losing their appeal. American collectors and artists, on the other hand, began appreciating Impressionism.(Weinberg, 2004) After the American Civil War, American art patrons who made fortunes by selling/exhibiting their works went to Europe to embrace its culture. They exhibited their wealth by building houses where they would showcase works by old masters. American artists who wanted to appeal to hese patrons studied in Europe particularly in Paris where the Impressionist movement was starting.(Johnson, 2008)
Characteristics of American Impressionism included asymmetrical balance, use of colored shadows, use of pure color, broken color or broken brushstrokes, use of thick paint, subject matter, high horizontal line, photographic influence, influence of Japanese
prints, and painting outdoors.(Florence Griswold Museum, n.d.)
Most American Impressionists settled in the northeast. Some Impressionists like Childe Hassam were fond of the urban life. They painted areas like the neighborhoods of New York. Other Impressionists, however, preferred to capture the energy of the countryside. American Impressionists whether painting in urban areas or countryside did not just exploit the effects of light and colors in their paintings but also the feeling and the meaning of the subjects they painted.(Weinberg, 2004)
With Industrialization, American landscapes were changing as factories were created. Some Impressionists who wanted to paint rural areas usually moved to art colonies such as Southampton Long Island, Cos Cob Connecticut, and Gloucester Massachusetts. These places provided them rural landscapes that Impressionists wanted to paint.(Akron Art Museum, n.d.)
As the United States became financially well by the early 20th century due to industrialization and the progressive era, some American Impressionists preferred to portray genteel subjects in order to look more sophisticated. Contradictory to their French counterparts who portrayed working and middle
class subjects, American impressionist artists chose to paint the “well-dressed, well-mannered high society.”(National Gallery of Art, 2011)
Mary Stevenson Cassatt
Mary Stevenson Cassatt was born on May 22, 1844 and died June 14, 1926. Mary Cassatt had a pleasant and financially stable childhood being the daughter
of a prominent businessman and having a mother who came from a banking family. As part of her education, she traveled to European cities such as London, Paris, and Berlin. Despite her family’s objections to her career as an artist, Mary Cassatt started studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts when she was just 16 years old. (Bauer, 2008)
At such young age, Mary Cassatt was very much determined to become a professional artist. Most women at her time were not as passionate about becoming an artist as Mary Cassatt. Back then, most women sought art for the recognition and the sense of achievement that it gave them. (Sharp, 1998)
Mary Cassatt studied under a number of arts masters during her time. She was a student of Jean-Leon Gerome who was a very prominent arts teacher(Weinberg, 2004) In 1877, Cassatt was invited by Degas to exhibit her paintings with them, the Impressionists. Cassatt delightfully accepted and started painting canvases to be exhibited during the 1879 Impressionist exhibition. Prior to the impressionist exhibitions, Cassatt preferred to paint in a studio rather than outdoors which was one of the characteristics of Impressionism. (Weinberg, 2004)
Edgar Degas was probably one of the most influential people in Cassatt’s painting styles. Cassatt already admired Degas’ pastels even before becoming somewhat of an apprentice. Cassatt eventually used pastels for her paintings. Edgar Degas had quite a substantial influence on Cassatt as through him she was able to gain a great deal of knowledge. (Bauer, 2008)
Mary Cassatt, however, did not just copy Degas’ painting styles. She also had developed a style of her own. Her paintings focused on intimate and domestic
relationships. She painted a lot about the relationship between the mother and her children. Her first paintings were very much affected by golden lighting.
After exposure to Japanese prints, however, her colors became “clearer, bolder, and more defined.” (Bauer, 2008)
By 1915, Mary Cassatt was suffering from diabetes. Mary Cassatt had stopped painting for she was living in “almost total blindness.”(Bauer, 2008) Mary Cassatt was an advocate of Impressionism. She helped support the movement financially. She pursued her brother to buy paintings of artists such as Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Morisot, and Pisaro. Mary Cassatt helped the Impressionist movement to become popular in the USA. (Bauer, 2008)
For an extensive collection of Mary Cassatt’s paintings, follow this link:
http://www.marycassatt.org/the-complete-works.html
Impressionist Paintings:
Allies Day, 1917, Childe Hassam[i]
Allies Day, 1917, is just one of Childe Hassam’s flag paintings in his “flags” series. Hassam started the flags series in 1916 when people marched up the Fifth Avenue to show their support for the Allied cause of World War I. In this painting we could see how a United States’ flag hang clear of other flagpoles. Allies Day also shows the “nationalistic temper” of that time from the parading of the people for the American cause.(National Endowment for the Humanities, n.d.)
Other Flag Paintings by Childe Hassam
Avenue of the Allies, Great Britain, 1918[ii]
Red Cross Drive (Celebration Day), May 1918[iii]
Mother and Child, c. 1905, Mary Cassatt[iv]
Mother and Child is a painting that represents the most common theme of Mary Cassatt’s works which is the relationship of a mother with her child. Mary Cassatt often dressed her models with dresses that she bought from well-known stores. Like most of her paintings, she wanted to portray her subjects attractively.(National Gallery of Art, 2011) The painting also shows one of the roles of women at home at the time which was to tend to her children. A number of Mary Cassatt’s
paintings focused on this aspect of taking care of children. She wanted to show her mothers as very caring.
paintings focused on this aspect of taking care of children. She wanted to show her mothers as very caring.
At the Seaside, c. 1892, William Merritt Chase[v]
This painting shows a number of people during their leisure time at the beach. This
canvas was painted probably along the Shinnecock bay in Southampton Long Island
which was usually preferred by affluent visitors rather than New York City.
canvas was painted probably along the Shinnecock bay in Southampton Long Island
which was usually preferred by affluent visitors rather than New York City.
Maytime, 1909, Willard Metcalf[vi]
Like other Impressionists, one of Metcalf’s subjects was the rural areas. He liked
areas that reminded people of a much simpler time; landscapes that haven’t been urbanized. Industrialization changed American landscapes with the creation of factories. Impressionists were fond of “en plein air” paintings and rural landscapes provided them with the natural views to portray.(Akron Art Museum, n.d.)
areas that reminded people of a much simpler time; landscapes that haven’t been urbanized. Industrialization changed American landscapes with the creation of factories. Impressionists were fond of “en plein air” paintings and rural landscapes provided them with the natural views to portray.(Akron Art Museum, n.d.)
[i]Childe Hassam. Allies Day, May 1917, 1917. The
Collection: National Gallery of Art. Washington D.C. 92.7 x 76.8cm. Oil on
canvas. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/timage_f?object=30115&image=4933&c=gg70
(Accessed November 18, 2011)
[ii]Childe Hassam. Avenue of the Allies, Great Britain. 1918. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 36 x 28 3/8 in. Oil on canvas. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.187.127 (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[iii]Childe Hassam. Red Cross Drive(Celebration Day). 1918. May Family Collection. 35 ½ x 23 ½ in. Oil on Canvas. http://www.thecityreview.com/hassam.html (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[iv]Mary Cassatt. Mother and Child. ca. 1905. The Collection: National Gallery of Art. Washington D.C. 92.1 x 73.7 cm. Oil on Canvas. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/timage_f?object=46573&image=10110&c=ggcassattptg (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[v]William Chase. At The Seaside. ca. 1892. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 20 x 34 in. Oil on canvas. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.187.123 (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[vi]Willard Metcalf. Maytime. 1909. WikiPaintings. http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/willard-metcalf/maytime (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[ii]Childe Hassam. Avenue of the Allies, Great Britain. 1918. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 36 x 28 3/8 in. Oil on canvas. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.187.127 (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[iii]Childe Hassam. Red Cross Drive(Celebration Day). 1918. May Family Collection. 35 ½ x 23 ½ in. Oil on Canvas. http://www.thecityreview.com/hassam.html (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[iv]Mary Cassatt. Mother and Child. ca. 1905. The Collection: National Gallery of Art. Washington D.C. 92.1 x 73.7 cm. Oil on Canvas. http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/timage_f?object=46573&image=10110&c=ggcassattptg (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[v]William Chase. At The Seaside. ca. 1892. In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 20 x 34 in. Oil on canvas. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/67.187.123 (Accessed November 18, 2011)
[vi]Willard Metcalf. Maytime. 1909. WikiPaintings. http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/willard-metcalf/maytime (Accessed November 18, 2011)