We left the exhibition, started in Part I of this blog, in this wonderful space. It’s now time to look at the paintings that you can see here in the slit above the settee – which includes some very famous paintings indeed.
Pissarro as mentor and mentee
Camille Pissarro was the oldest member of the groups known as Impressionists and was an important mentor to many of the younger artists. He sounds terrific; open to learning from others and new painting techniques. He offered advice on painting as well as lessons. This work shows the cool, blond palette and buttery style of paint application typical of his early work. Both Cézanne and Gaughin adopted characteristic features of his work.
As you can see here with this Cézanne painting.
And here is a Gaughin. I didn’t know he was initially a stockbroker and ex merchant marine and French naval officer. He visited Pissarro on week-ends while still working as a stockbroker, which he was when this was painted.
Vincent van Gogh was another influenced by Pissarro. Arriving in Paris in 1886 , in 1890 he took up Pissarro’s recommendation to move to Auvers north-west of Paris. I loved this painting. Another that, on its own, makes a visit to this exhibition worthwhile.
Pissarro’s art moved into an entirely new phase – and the one with which we are most familiar – in October 1885 when he met Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. They were exploring concepts of colour and optics that became known as Pointillism or Neo-Impressionism. It’s beautiful.
And here is Paul Signac’s version of this approach to painting – using dots, dabs and dashes.
Here is another Paul Signat – Joe’s favourite picture thus far, he said.
Urban realisms
While Impressionist art celebrates natural light and outdoor scenes; some of these artists thrived on the energy and rapid change of urban life that was occurring in the city. Édouard Manet saw art and artistry in the renewed city precincts its grand boulevards and great stone edifices.
And so we come to pictures of people and every day experiences. Like this street singer – a recreation in Manet’s studio of a scene he encountered on the street.
And Degas, as is well-known was fascinated by the racetrack which enjoyed a vogue in nineteenth-century Paris. He and Manet both took the opportunity to explore the visual spectacle that defined the experience of modernity.
Our Impressionists also painted portraits. This is by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who was in art student in 1882 and is unlike the caricatural depictions of cabaret and circus performers that dominate his work from the 1890s. It belongs more to the ‘Impressionist realism’of Degas and Manet.
This portrait is by Édouard Manet who did not participate in the Impressionist exhibitions but was a friend and mentor to Degas, Monet and other Impressionist artists. This certainly captures a mood.
Edgar Degas produced a series of paintings of women in museums; what a strange theme! Here is one of them. The woman standing is the painter Mary Cassatt and the seated figure probably her sister and they are probably at the Louvre. Their attitudes suggest interest but also exhaustion brought on by a long day at the museum.
And here is a portrait by Mary Cassatt herself. An American she exhibited in four of the Impressionists exhibitions. This is her two year old niece – poor thing!
Monet in situ
The absolute highlight of the exhibition is a beautiful curved room containing paintings by Monet. All of whose paintings are specific, about his having experienced the light, the atmosphere – the ‘envelope’ as he called it – oaf a particular place. Those on here represent some of Monet’s most cherished places: Argenteuil, the Normandy coast, the Mediterranean coast and Giverny.
The whole room is a magical experience recalling to my mind the Jeu de Paume gallery in Paris; where his water lily paintings create, in my view, a secular cathedral. It is wonderful how the curators have built this beautiful display of his work here in Melbourne. This gives some idea (very poorly) of the feel of the place.
And so to the works. This is a glimpse of Argenteuil where Monet lived as he says, able to live modestly and work so well, in the 1870s
It was in Argenteuil that Monet became interested in gardening. He said: I have never had a studio, and I don’t understand why people close themselves up in a room.
Now we are in Giverny, in the countryside. By looking hard I’ve finally entered into the spirit of this countryside. I understand it now and have a clearer idea of wha to do with it.
An now a bigger haystack – he started painting the first of his monumental series of these from 1890-91, finally exhibiting fifteen of them in Paris in 1891 to critical acclaim.
And now water lilies, which he started painting in 1903. He exhibited forty eight of what he called ‘water landscapes’ in 1909.
He started building his Japanese style garden after buying a second plot of land in Giverny in 1890; All the money I earn goes into my garden.
Here is another landscape from around Giverny. This is one of his first pictures after settling here in 1883 and where he would live until his death in 1926. The size, shape and direction of the brushstrokes and juxtaposition of complementary reds and greens gives the painting a vibrant intensity.
Here is a place overlooking the English channel, where Monet spent six months in 1882. It was a period of relaxation and rejuvenation for me.
Here he is on the Riviera where he jousts and fights with the sun. And what sun is here!
There were a few more paintings from the Riviera, but I’ll just add an earlier one depicting snow. Likely inspired by Japanese woodblock it is unusual for its attempt to capture actual snowfall: a screen of drifting flakes.
And close with another picture of this gallery; which was such a great way to display these wonderful paintings. It’s a wonderful exhibition, beautifully curated, I recommend a visit.
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