Impressionism: The International Movement from Australia to Northernmost Scandinavia

Impressionism: The International Movement from Australia to Northernmost Scandinavia
* Two Fridays – September 8 & 22, 1:00 pm  – 3:15 pm

We are familiar with Impressionism in France and how artists took up painting en plein-air to capture the fleeting moment, recording with rapid brushwork the changing effects of  light, weather and time of day. In this class, we will see how artists in other countries embraced the same idea with gorgeous results, reflecting the particular light, landscape and traditions of their country.

We begin with Australia viewing the masterpieces of the holy trinity of Australian Impressionists: Tom Roberts, Charles Conder, and Arthur Streeton.
We look at what happened in Belgium and Holland, where a tradition of outdoor painting went as far back as Rubens and van Ruisdael, reflected in the work of Emile Claus, Theo van Rysselberghe and Jan Toorop.
We will witness the explosion of Impressionism in Italy – the works of Giuseppe de Nittis, Giovanni Boldoni and others.
Spain boasts two of the finest Impressionist painters: Mariano Fortuny and the almost legendary Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida.
We will study the phenomenon of the Nordic version of Impressionism, especially the work created at the Artists’ Colony of Skagen at the tip of Denmark: Peder Kroyer, Anya Anker and colleagues.
In Sweden we will spend some time with Anders Zorn, the nation’s master painter.

These are the highlights but we will have a look at what happened in Japan (yes!), Germany, and Austria, all while asking what traditions were being upheld, broken? What was the critical response?

Note: American Impressionism is covered in another class at Book Passage.

Kerrin Meis taught art history at SFSU for ten years and has led study tours in Europe. Her Book Passage classes have been favorites for years.