Exploring Daily Life Through Impressionism : 3D Gallery

Claude
Monet’s Impression Sunrise captures
the serene early morning of the fishing port of Havre in 1872. Using varying
hues of blue and orange, the distinct shapes of fishermen in their boats stand
in sharp contrast to the rest of the scene. Capturing a moment that most likely
occurred every morning, Monet allows the viewer to be transported to the same
port he witnessed in 1872. This scene may seem relatively mundane, however the with
tranquility of the moving water and the vague shapes of large steamer ships in
the background, Sunrise appropriately
captures this moment in history that would have otherwise been forgotten.

The Rehearsal on Stage

Edgar
Degas, 1874

The
Rehearsal on Stage

Pastel
over brush and ink drawing on thin, cream colored wove paper, laid on Bristol
board, mounted on canvas

Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York

At
first glance, Edgar Degas’s The Rehearsal
on Stage seems rather frenetic. However, upon further observation the
ballerina’s rehearsal seems rather organized. Instead of portraying the women
as beautiful, energetic, and full of happiness, Degas instead them in the total
reality of their situation giving the painting a very realistic and relatable
feeling. The ballet dancer tying her shoe in the left corner, the women fixing
her hair in the same corner, and the man sitting slumped in the chair convey
the tiresome nature of dance instead of its usual glamorization. The adherence
to reality in Degas’s work allows the viewer to emphasize with the ballerinas
and understand their struggle through daily recital.

Moulin De La Galette

Pierre-Auguste
Renoir

Moulin
De La Galette, 1876

Oil
on canvas

Musee
d’Orsay, Paris

Moulin De La Galette captures various
interactions, especially those of a romantic nature, through the depiction of a
crowded scene of upper middleclass people enjoying a warm summers day. The dancing
couples in the background of the left corner demonstrate courting norms of the
time, where interactions between young “lovers” were always supervised by a
chaperone, as can be witnessed in the central foreground of the composition. Also
noted, are the extremely similar clothes of everyone in the scene, giving the
viewer a realistic understanding of late nineteenth century fashion in Paris
and its affinity for black attire¹⁰. The individuals leaning over
chairs and casually embracing each other reduce the formality of the scene
giving it a sense of ease.

Summers Day

Berthe
Morisot

Summers
Day, 1879

Oil
on canvas

National
Gallery, London

Similar
to the way a photograph would capture this seemingly insignificant interaction,
Summer Days by Berthe Morisot
encapsulates the purpose of Impressionism in cementing moments in tangible
form. The intense movement of the water and relatively cohesive color scheme
illustrate the interaction between the two women who seem to be of middle class
origin. Out on what appears to be an outing in a canoe in a picterisque park,
the two women seem to taking advantage “free time,” a relatively new concept
prominent in much artwork produced by Impressionists¹¹. The usage of
light in this painting gives the scene a very naturalistic scene in its
rippling over the water and reflection the central figures dress and face.

The Tub

Edgar
Degas

The
Tub, 1886

Pastel
on cardboard

Musee
d’Orsay, Paris

Edgar
Degas’s, The Tub, depicts a very
intimate scene that most would never have witnessed, making the scene seem
rather voyeuristic. Evidently, part of her weekly routine, this image depicts a
scene with which we are all very familiar. Instead of glamorizing the woman,
Degas chose to portray the woman in a very naturalistic and vulnerable manner,
both in her posture and the objects laid out on the dresser. Using shadows and
light to bring attention to certain portions of the image, the viewer can most
easily be drawn to the back of the women and the glisten on the water in the
clean tub. Though this scene is important in depicting scenes from middle class
life, the subject of the painting further contributes to the historical
subjugation of women’s bodies to the experimentation of male artists and the
male gaze.

Conversations

Camille
Pissarro

Conversation,
1881

Oil
on canvas

The
National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo Japan

Conversations by Camille
Pissarro illustrates a rural conversation between two working individuals in
earthy tones and shades of dark greens. Diverging from the usual portrayal of
rich aristocracy or a well maintained picturesque landscape, Pissarro captures
the moment in its true essence. Separated by a wooden picket fence, the two
subjects casually lean in to talk to each other with familiarity, as if they
encounter each other on the same path every day. Though the conversation may be
of little significance to the viewer or in fact the artist himself, the
preservation of this work of art serves as a beautiful reminder of the
intricacy of our everyday communication. Also, in Pissaro’s choice to paint two
individuals of lower economic status is not only a statement in the elevation
of their societal status but also the importance of their discourse.

Mother and Child

Camille
Pissarro

Paris Street, Rainy Day

Gustave
Caillebotte

Paris
Street, Rainy Day, 1877

Oil
on canvas

The
Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois

The
central focus of this composition being a young couple walking arm in arm in a
scene filled with people hunched under black umbrellas, scurrying out of the
rain, conveys a dreary Paris day. Caillebotte, using linear perspective to add
depth allows the viewer catches a glimpse of the ornate Parisian treats
remodeled after Commune in order to prevent further social uprisings¹².
To the left, the two main subjects both have their heads turned in interest
toward something intriguing not included in the frame. Throughout the image,
the reoccurring appearance of black clothing, umbrellas, and as it fades into
the background gives the scene a very dismal outlook on not only the scene
itself but the atmosphere of any rainy day. Gustave Caillebotte’s emphasis on
black attire not only gives his composition a dismal feeling but also
accurately reflects popular fashion trends in Paris during the late nineteenth
century, adhering to Impressionisms depictions of modern life¹³.

Ophelia

Ophelia is a painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais, completed between 1851 and 1852. It depicts Ophelia, a character from Hamlet, singing before she drowns in a river in Denmark. [more]

The Music Lesson

The Music Lesson or Lady at the Virginals with a Gentleman by Jan Vermeer, is a painting of young female pupil receiving the titular music lesson. [more]

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Exploring Daily Life Through Impressionism

The Rehearsal on Stage

Moulin De La Galette

Summers Day

The Tub

Conversations

Mother and Child

Paris Street, Rainy Day

Ophelia

The Music Lesson

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