Posts Tagged ‘impressionist’
Cassatt: Mothers and Children
Mary Cassatt (1845-1926) was the daughter of a wealthy Pennsylvania business man. In those days, painting was a man’s world and her father not only discouraged her, he refused to pay for her supplies. She left the United States as soon as possible to study art in Paris. Since Victorian women were not allowed to be alone with any man except a relative, Cassatt’s only male subjects were her father and brothers.
When Degas first saw her work, he said, “There is a person who feels as I do” and soon afterward they became life long friends. She was a gifted draftsman, precisely outlined her figures, and composed excellent designs. She used the Impressionist palette of vivid hues, pale tines, golden light, and shadows tinged with color and she exhibited with them. Her trademarks were women and children.
Her wealthy friends bought paintings from Monet, Manet, Cezanne and Cassatt for their private collections. Although the French were slow to appreciate the Impressionists, with the Americans it was love at first sight!
Renoir: Happy People in Pretty Places
Pierre-August Renoir (1841-1919) thought a picture should be a pleasant thing, joyful and pretty. He loved painting lovely female faces and forms, sunlit meadows and gardens, and open-air cafes.
Renoir invented the dappled-light effect which he used so effectively throughout his career. He never used black and sometimes his figures went off the edge of the page. His early paintings have a snapshot feel – a slice of life has been captured on canvas before the scene shifts. The dappled light, the quick brushstrokes and sketchiness of painting resulted in a distinctive impressionist look.
Later, instead of focusing on fleeting moments, he wanted his art to make a lasting impression. He went to Rome to study with the Renaissance masters and especially liked Raphael’s work. As a result, his figures became much more solid. Solid figures and blurred backgrounds became the trademark of his mature style.