Impressionism is today, a widely recognised and celebrated art movement.

Developed in late 19th century France by then avant garde artists, including:

Claude Monet, Auguste Renior, Edouard Manet,

Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley-

impressionism depicts images of everyday life, of landscape, of the familiar.

It is this characteristic of ready accessibility which has proven

key to its lasting popular appeal.

 

…

(images from timeout magazine):

The Galettes (1882)

by Claude Monet

…

The impressionists often completed their paintings

“en plein air”  (in the open air),

capturing an effect of natural light and colour

…

 

The Bridge at Villenueve-La-Garenne (1872)

by Alfred Sisley

…

These features of subjects of the mundane, of textural paint techniques

and of study and painting achieved outdoors,

were considered quite revolutionary and harshly critiqued.

At the inception of the impressionist movement

the established art world was hardly impressed.

…

Yet one man, French art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel

championed these novel artists.

…

(image from timeout magazine):

Portrait of Paul Durand-Ruel  (1910)

by Pierre- Auguste Renior 

…

An astute entrepreneur, M. Durand-Ruel

was unwavering in his support,

which eventually yielded  success.

…

(image from aacv.fr):

M. Durand-Ruel

…

Utilising his galleries in Paris, New York and Brussels

and other venues worldwide-

M. Durand-Ruel organised numerous exhibitions

to showcase the works of his artists.

…

Even during bouts of personal financial difficulties,

M. Durand-Ruel routinely provided his artists with monetary assistance.

Amassing quite a collection of their works,

he was a staunch believer of the impressionist interpretive.

…

The National Gallery, London presently hosts the exhibition

Inventing Impressionism.

The show is a nod to the M. Durand-Ruel’s

steadfast belief in the eventual value of impressionist paintings

as both artistic merit and monetary worth.

…

The exhibition brings together over 85 impressionist paintings

which were once part of the Durand-Ruel extensive inventory

 and are now held in private hands or museum collections.

…

(image from the guardian.co.uk):

Poplars in the Sun (1891)

by Claude Monet

…

(images from timeout magazine):

The Thames Below Westminster (1871)

by Claude Monet

…

Foxhill, Upper Norwood (1870)

by Camille Pissarro

…

Music in the Tuileries Gardens (1862)

by Edouard Manet

…

Boy with a Sword (1861)

Edouard Manet

…

(image from timeout magazine):

Woman at her Toilette (1875 -1880)

by Berthe Morisot

…

(image from artfund.org):

…

Horses Before the Stand (1866 – ’68)

by Edgar Degas

…

(image from timeout magazine):

The Ballet Class (1880)

by Edgar Degas

…

Inventing Impressionism is a show, which offers additional opportunity

to view beautiful paintings by truly masterful painters-

a sentiment  M. Durand-Ruel always believed of his artists and their works.

…

Inventing Impressionism

at The National Gallery, London

until 31 May 2015

 

…

For additional details, visit:

…