In the autumn of 1881, Renoir set out on a three-month long trip through Italy. His first stop was Venice, where he executed some of her best loved scenes, for example, the Piana di San Marco with the Doge's Palace (1881), where in a sense of boldness and his loose, swiftly applied brush strokes (typical of his Impressionist period) he managed to capture the effect of the sun in the morning sky. Through his exposure to painters like Raphael, Leonardo, and Titian, Renoir finally decided that he should put the whole idea of Impressionism far behind and start working in a more classical, and more formal way.
Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy
Still arguably Venice's most photographed location, Piazza San Marco serves as Venice's major public square and not only houses the elaborate Basilica, but also includes the Doge's Palace, the Campanile (Bell Tower), and the Torre dell'Orologio (Clock Tower) too. Of course, throngs of eager tourists flock here daily to experience this remarkable piece of history and wet their whistle in one of the iconic cafes lining Napoleon's, often referred to as the "most beautiful drawing-room in the world.
Rouen Cathedral, Rouen, France
From 1892 to 1894, Monet produced this renowned series of roughly 30 canvases that illustrate the West Facade of Rouen Cathedral in varying light and at different times of the day, aiming to display how the variations in light alter our perception of a subject, and it is evident how he achieved this effect with up to 14 paintings of this same subject simultaneously, switching between each with the fluctuating light. Rouen Cathedral, West Facade, Sunlight (1894), a depiction that consists of individual dabs of colour—cream white, golden tan, with touches of sky blue and pale pink added—effectively conveys the sensation of a warm summer's day.
Avenue de l’Opera, Paris, France
For the winter of 1897, Camille Pissarro chose to lodge at the Grand Hotel du Louvre, occupying a room that overlooked the beautiful Avenue de l'Opera stretching toward the magnificent Palais Garnier in the distance; this avenue, which Baron Haussmann had constructed over more than a decade between the 1860s and 1870s, served as a symbol of the modern age cherished by the Impressionists. He painted from his room on Avenue de l'Opera, capturing over 15 different perspectives of the bustling boulevards around him, including Avenue de l'Opera: Morning Sunshine (1898), illustrating all the various atmospheric conditions affecting the vibrant city and its diverse population; "it's going to be wonderful to paint," he exclaimed enthusiastically of the lively streets of Paris, "so silvery, luminous, and animated."
Boieldieu Bridge, Rouen, France
Although many art enthusiasts recognize Monet's series of paintings of Rouen as the most famous, many other Impressionist artists, including Camille Pissarro, found inspiration in Rouen's charm. After he made a visit to the town during the spring and autumn of 1896, Pissarro wrote vividly about the 'motif of the iron bridge on a rainy day, with much traffic, carriages, pedestrians, workers on the quays, boats, smoke, mist in the distance, the whole scene fraught with animation and life.' Pissarro completed several artistic interpretations of the bridge shown here, specifically focusing on the Boieldieu Bridge, which is otherwise known as the Grand Pont. This particular version that he created is titled 'Morning, an overcast day, Rouen' (1896).
Berck-sur-mer, France
The sea held great fascination for Edouard Manet, and he almost spent every summer by the seaside. Edouard Manet commissioned the painting during his three-week stay in the small town of Berck-sur-Mer, which looks out onto the English Channel; the subject depicts his wife Suzanne and his brother Edouard as they rest by the shore. As an early proto-Impressionist piece, Manet employed speedy, brisk strokes to portray this work; however, some of the low-key shades are, surprisingly, not punctuated by anything else other than a mix of black and gray.
Marly-Le-Roi, France
Sisley lived in the tiny village of Marly-Le-Roi, situated to the west of Paris, from 1874 to 1877. This village once served as the site of The Chateau de Marly, which Louis XIV commissioned in the late 17th century as an escape from the grandeur of Versailles, although it has since been demolished. One of the very few remnants that remain is the horse's watering place, which, to him, evolved into an obsession as he painted it on almost twenty separate occasions. He created quick brushstrokes of this scene in his artwork titled The Watering Place at Marly-Le-Roi (circa 1875). With the absence of bold colors, Sisley chose a more muted grey palette to evoke an instantly apparent frozen wintry feeling.
FAQ's
1. What is Monet's Water Lilies series, and where can I see them?
It is a collection of approximately 250 oil paintings depicting Claude Monet's flower garden at Giverny, France. You can view major installations at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris and the Musée Marmottan Monet.
2. Where is Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte housed?
This iconic pointillist masterpiece is on permanent display at the Art Institute of Chicago in the United States.
3. Which museum holds the largest collection of Impressionist art in the world?
The Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France, houses the world's most extensive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces.
4. Where was Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night painted, and where is it now?
Van Gogh painted it while staying at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, and it is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.
5. Can visitors tour the actual gardens that inspired Impressionist landscapes?
Yes, Claude Monet's house and gardens in Giverny, France, are fully open to the public and maintained to look much as they did when he painted them.
