Art Talk: Art in Paris in the 1870s

The Mother and Sister of the Artist
1869-1870, Berthe Morisot
National Gallery of Art, DC

Les Miserables, 1862, Victor Hugo

I like this painting for it's impressionist qualities of light, color and depicting daily life.

During a tour of the National Gallery of Art in DC I hear a a great story about this painting. It is told that the artist's younger brother Edmond Renior would periodically delay passerby long enough for Pierre-August to record their appearance as he sat in the upper floor of a cafe over looking the bride. Renior even recorded Edmond twice. He is the one with walking stick and a straw boater on. 2

Edouard Manet is one of my favorite artists during this time. He is so interesting in that he was a contemporary and friends with many of the Impressionist painters yet he never joined that movement.

The Railway is a interesting subject as at this time Paris was undergoing an urban renewal program, of which railroads were a centerpiece. 3

The model is Victorine Meurent, Manet's muse for both Olymipa and Dejeuner sur I'Herbe. 4

From the MET's description of this painting:

In July and August 1874 Manet vacationed at his family’s house in Gennevilliers, just across the Seine from Monet at Argenteuil. The two painters saw each other often that summer, and on a number of occasions they were joined by Renoir. While Manet was painting this picture of Monet with his wife Camille and their son Jean, Monet painted Manet at his easel (location unknown). Renoir, who arrived just as Manet was beginning to work, borrowed paint, brushes, and canvas, positioned himself next to Manet, and painted Madame Monet and Her Son. 6

What a great time for these three artists to be painting together and each other!

Beautiful detail of Woman with a Parasol

After making Age of Bronze Rodin was accused of modeling from life. In response to this and to allow his work in the Paris Salon he sculpted Walking Man in front of a jury of five men. Below is an excerpt from Naked Came I on the experience of sculpting Walking Man.

"For the first time in years Auguste was improvising. He imagined Lecoq standing before him, but Lecoq was too old, Boucher moved well and easily but he wasn't dramatic, then there was that Italian, Peppino, so completely without awkwardness, with a magnificent exciting stride. He began to model now, feeling sure, seeing Peppino's walk with a clear and rational mind although years had intervened. He mounted the torso on the armature, and as the figure became real he felt in the presence of God. He made the trunk wider, stronger, more muscular, but still, at the moment, without sex.
Boucher marveled at the simplicity with which he worked, as if the structure of this figure welled up from Rodin's imagination. There was nothing abstract about this body; the concrete reality was individual. He did not use too much clay, as did most sculptors. He worked quietly, calmly, swiftly, with an ease of expression that struck Boucher as remarkable. He dominated his material. " 7

This bronze by Degas was debuted at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in 1881.

It is made with pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon, cotton faille bodice, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base.

I have walked past this sculpture many times and not realized how revolutionary it is. From the National of Gallery of Art page:

"In the context of the evolution of sculpture, the Little Dancer is a groundbreaking work of art. The liberating idea that any medium or technique necessary to convey the desired effect is fair game may be traced back to this sculpture. Degas represented a working–class subject, though not an everyday one, with both realism and compassion, but without moralizing. In so doing, he captured with brilliant simplicity the difficult tension between art and life." 8

Beautiful detail of Oarsmen at Chatou