Profs and Pints Northern Virginia presents: “Washington’s Impressionist Art,” a guide to finding and fully understanding French impressionism on display throughout the city, with Rebecca Jeffrey Easby, associate professor of art history and chair of the fine arts program at Trinity Washington University.
Washington D.C. is home to many famous works of French Impressionism, and the National Gallery plans to host an exhibition titled Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment later this year.
In becoming so celebrated and accessible, such works have ceased to be commonly associated with what makes them and their popularity most remarkable: They were incredibly revolutionary and controversial back in their day.
Learn important background that will help you fully appreciate such art with the help of Professor Rebecca Jeffrey Easby of Trinity Washington University, who teaches art history courses and has been a National Gallery guest lecturer.
In a talk that will help restore impressionism’s edge, she'll discuss how artists involved in the Impressionist movement initially found their work to be hated by many and struggled mightily to gain acceptance for their subjects and painting methods.
She'll recount the trials and tribulations of Monet, Renoir and Degas. She'll describe how a less-familiar figure, Gustave Caillebotte, used his personal wealth to keep members of the movement financially afloat. And she'll explain how so many French Impressionist pictures ended up in museums and galleries in the U.S.
Impressionism changed the face of art collecting and art exhibitions. Professor Easby’s talk will change how you view the works on display. (Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: Pierre-Auguste Renoir's “Luncheon of the Boating Party” (The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.)
