Wednesday, August 2, 2017

You Can Decorate Your Home With Impressionist Prints And Still Support American Artists

By Michelle Powell


If you are decorating a new house or redecorating one you already own, deciding what to put on the walls is important. You may be concerned that original artwork is too expensive. If this is the case, you can always decorate with interesting and attractive reproductions, like Impressionist prints. It is also possible to display work done by Americans during this period. Your guests may be surprised to learn that there was an American Impressionist movement.

Many people are happy just to hang a print and enjoy it without knowing anything about the work or the artist. Others are interested in understanding the background and history surrounding the genres they prefer. John Breck, for instance, is credited with bringing French Impressionism to America. After a visit to France, he opened his own exhibit in Boston just before the turn of the twentieth century. William Chase painted "en plein air" and founded what is now Parsons School of Design.

Childe Hassam is generally considered the most famous of the American Impressionists. He is most well known for his street scenes and depictions of flags flying in New York during World War Two. He painted in both oil and watercolor. His style probably most closely resembles the French painters, Pissarro and Monet. Vivid colors and broken brush strokes characterize his work.

Although male painters dominated the art scene, Mary Cassatt, and her painting of everyday occurrences in the lives of women are still admired today. Some of her most famous works are intimate scenes of mothers interacting with their little children. A native of Pennsylvania, she traveled to France early on and caught the attention of Edgar Degas. He invited her to show her work with leading French Impressionists.

James Whistler, probably best known for depicting his mother sitting in profile in a rocking chair, studied painting in Paris and was a good friend of Claude Monet. In many respects, Whistler's work went beyond Impressionism as he created his own style and color palette. He did share the Impressionists' interest in creating effect rather than strict attention to detail and painting scenes from life.

Both the French and American Impressionists were fascinated with landscapes and close interiors. The coastline of New England was of special interest to a lot of the Americans painting at the time. Their work is very distinctive and can be easily identified, even when it is hung in the midst of French works of this same time period.

Ironbound Island, Maine was a popular destination for a lot of American Impressionists. The Blaney family owned it and welcomed such renowned painters as John Singer Sargent and Childe Hassam. The Blaneys were great supporters of the arts.

Knowing some of the history behind the reproductions you choose for your home makes them more special. You may even find that you are interested in learning more about the artist, the movement, and the individual techniques that set each work apart. Prints don't have to just hide bare walls. They can invite interesting conversation and create a congenial atmosphere.




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