Masters of Light, Impressionism in California” celebrates the beauty of late 19th century west coast landscapes, and spotlights a collection of works produced in this area of the United States, shown for the first time in Europe. Exalting nature in paintings is part of a long-standing tradition in American art that can be traced back to the early 1800s and a movement known as the Hudson River School. The artists featured here were the first to depict stunning views of that river’s valley. Way ahead of their time, these “activists” expressed concern about the destruction of the environment by glorifying the majesty of unspoiled countryside. Their love of such settings spawned a unique “made in the USA” style that concentrated on outdoor scenes, prior to the Barbizon school...
During the late 1890s there were a number of talented Americans who studied in Paris and went on to establish an expat artists colony in Giverny, following in the footsteps of their impressionist master, Claude Monet. Among these, several Californian painters... Frederick C. Frieseke was one of the best known American painters in France, as was Guy Rose, who eventually returned to Los Angeles after a long sojourn in this region. Rose was part of a handful of Monet’s transatlantic disciples who actually developed a friendship with their mentor. Like many members of the group he alternated between landscapes and portraits of family members. Several of his Giverny compositions are represented in this overview, including “The Green Parasol” — an archetypal image that reflects that period’s fascination with Japanese motifs.
After his return to California in 1914, a critic noted: “Charming as are the pictures from Giverny and Toulon, they have not the grasp of solidities that we find in those from Laguna and La Jolla. They are not so translucently poetic. Perhaps the painter has always needed the sunlight of his boyhood...”. Indeed, the seascapes Guy Rose produced there are nothing short of dazzling — with their shimmering waves, breaking upon rocky coastline.
Another pioneer, Granville Redmond belongs to this generation of early Southern Californian artists to experiment with impressionist techniques. Redmond, a deaf mute, went to San Francisco’s California School of Design, before studying in Paris. In 1898 he returned to America and opened a studio in Los Angeles. His masterful renderings of fields filled with wildflowers bring to mind many famous French paintings. Although some critics called Redmond’s poppy fields “potboilers,” this theme was intended as a celebration of his home state’s flower — a tribute to expanses of wilderness that were already fast disappearing.
Via this outstanding collection of works linking fine art with the beauty of Southern California’s landscapes, the Irvine Museum has set out to increase public awareness of the vital importance of environmental issues.This exhilarating exhibition is a great pleasure to view, but it also conveys a timely message, calling for immediate action to protect Southern California’s diminishing land, water and air... resources, as well as those of the rest of our planet.
Les Maitres de la Lumière, Peinture de Plein-Air en Californie 1890-1930, to Dec 14, Tue-Sat 10:30am to 6:30pm, Mona Bismarck Foundation, 34 av de New York, 16e, tel: 01 47 23 38 88, free
