In 1874, a group of avant-garde French artists, including Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, organized the first exhibition of the “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc.” in Paris. Although working independently, rather than as a unified movement or school, they came to be known as the Impressionists—a term first used to disparage their works as unfinished “impressions.” Defined by their loose brushwork, vibrant color palettes, and attention to capturing the ephemeral effects of light and atmosphere, these artists rejected established academic traditions and developed innovative approaches to depicting modern life.

Impressionism’s influence was felt globally, but perhaps nowhere as profoundly or as long lasting as in the United States. American artists working abroad had opportunities to see and study Impressionist works, but it was not until 1886—when the movement had lost some of its radical edge—that the first large-scale exhibition of French Impressionism was held in the United States. The New York Tribune reported that although Impressionist pictures were often criticized for their “blue grass, violently green skies, and water with the coloring of a rainbow,” Americans would nevertheless benefit from studying the “vitality and beauty” in these works.

Over the next three decades, artists working across the United States adapted Impressionist aesthetics to depict modern American life. While their works embody the optimism and nationalism that then defined American culture, by the turn of the twentieth century, rapid urbanization and industrialization had transformed the nation, giving rise to new artistic tendencies. A group of younger artists, often described as Realists, rejected Impressionism’s colorful palette, instead portraying the grittier side of urban life. However, like their Impressionist contemporaries, they continued to paint the American scene, focusing on life in the city, the country, and the home. Drawn from the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the works in this exhibition highlight the evolution of Impressionism’s blue grass and green skies into a distinctly American art.

Admission:
Members FREE
$20 for Adults
$15 for Seniors (age 62 and up)
$10 for College Students and 6-17 years old
5 and under FREE