Displaying items by tag: plein air

John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was one of the leading painters of his generation. His captivating portraits are universally admired for their insight into character, radiance of light and color, and painterly fluency and immediacy. "Sargent: Portraits of Artists and Friends," written by Richard Ormond, one of the foremost authorities on the artist, showcases Sargent’s cosmopolitan career in a new light—through his bold portraits of artists, writers, actors, and musicians, many of them his close friends—giving us a picture of the artist as an intellectual and connoisseur of the music, art, and literature of his day. Whether depicted in well-appointed interiors or en plein air, the cast of characters includes many famous subjects, among them Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Gabriel Fauré, W. B. Yeats, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Henry James. Because many of the sitters were his close friends, the artist was able to take a more informal, intimate approach to these portraits than in his formal commissions—and not only are the works penetrating studies of character, they are also records of friendships, allegiances, and influences.

From May 17 to October 2, 2014, The Irvine Museum presents Then and Now: 100 Years of Plein Air Painting, a special exhibition featuring California landscape paintings from 1903 to 2013.

The exhibition features a selection of The Irvine Museum's celebrated historic landscape paintings alongside contemporary plein air works. Works range from A Clear Day by William Wendt (c. 1903), to the most recent work featured in the exhibition, Sunset by Alexander Orlov (2013).

Featured historic artists include Benjamin Chambers Brown (1865-1942), Frank Cuprien (1871-1946), Frederick Melville DuMond (1867-1927), Euphemia Charlton Fortune (1885-1969), John Bond Francisco (1863-1932), John Frost (1890-1937), William Alexander Griffith (1866-1940), Paul Grimm (1891-1974), Sam Hyde Harris (1889-1977), Anna Hills (1882-1930), Emil Kosa, Jr. (1903-1968), and William Wendt (1865-1946).

49 paintings from the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, TN are now on view at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE. Renoir to Chagall: Paris and the Allure of Color focuses on Paris’ emergence as the hub of the art world during the 19^th century and its role in shaping the Impressionist movement in France.

Between 1853 and 1870, under the command of Napoleon III, Paris was transformed from a quaint city to one of grandeur. Narrow streets and crowded houses were demolished in favor of striking boulevards, lush public gardens, and modern buildings. While the population and prosperity of the city soared, artists flocked to Paris to be inspired and thrive, ultimately defining the city’s modern era. Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), Claude Monet (1840-1926), Pierre Auguste Renoir (1885-1952), and Edgar Degas (1834-1917) all nurtured their artistic visions in Paris during this period. In 1874, the artists held an independent exhibition, which led to their classification by critics as Impressionists. The plein air technique and unblended painterly style of Impressionism eventually influenced future generations of avant-garde artists include Neo-Impressionists, Fauves and Cubists.

The museum’s founders, Hugo and Margaret Dixon, formed the institution’s magnificent collection of French paintings themselves. John Reward, a leading scholar of Impressionism, advised the couple. Renoir to Chagall offers the finest works from their holdings and is on view at the Joselyn Art Museum through September 1, 2013. Admission to the museum and exhibition is free.