The Lens Of Impressionism

October 10, 2009 through January 3, 2010
This exhibition advances a new argument for the origins of what was called "the new painting,"
namely that a unique convergence of forces-social, artistic, technological, and
commercial-along the Normandy coast of France dramatically transformed the course of
photography and painting (as well as of the region itself). Within this framework, the
invention of the camera and the development of early fine art photography in that particular
setting will be seen as the specific catalysts that brought about a new approach to painting.
The project will showcase paintings, photographs, and drawings by some of the most treasured
artists in the Western canon-Gustave Courbet, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet
among them-as well as pioneering photographers such as Gustave Le Gray and Henri Le Secq.
Inspired by the scenic Normandy coast of France, these works-including representations of beach
scenes, seascapes, fishing villages, resorts, and the... Click to view full event details
Museum of Art (Alumni Memorial Hall)