A New Look at Impressionism: Surface and Depth

Join Katie Hanson, curator of the MFA’s French Impressionist collection, to learn more about the Impressionists and the context within which they lived, created, and exhibited. Focus on paintings in the MFA’s collection and gain insights into the relationships between the artists and the works that challenge the ways we think about Impressionism.

Katie Hanson, assistant curator, Paintings, Art of Europe

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

[incognito]

I love you for doing these videos. Americans, in general, need exposure to art form previous centuries. Thank you. Every exposure moves Art forward.

[paulalovesart]

Watching this and other lectures makes me want to make sure to visit the MFA when I am there next! I truly love learning from them. They bring a joy to my life, kind of like art does! Thank you! Paula

[jeannenordquist]

Discovery, while touching and observing action present, implements used, pen, pencil or brush as an example fuels, the moments we can embrace the currents of/with time. Joy's with our presence with father time. Thank you for you intuitive spoken words with Impressionist voice.

[aatt]

great lecturer and great body of knowledge on impressionism, I am so greatful I found this video to educate myself and expand my limited understanding on the paintings of these great artists.

[TheFifa]

Thank you so much for posting this lecture to YouTube. It was incredibly interesting ❤❤❤

[trevor]

These are great lectures, and as such it would really be helpful to have a list of links to the other in the series with each of them, so we don't have to go huntin.

[ashleighcranford]

"Impressionist paintings don't expect of us a knowledge of literature or of religion or of ancient history in order to appreciate their subject. They don't really tell stories. They are of their moment, but they are of a moment. And that, I think, is part of their enduring pleasure, the immediacy that they have."

[incognito]

Regarding picture size. Another reason, possibly the main reason for the similarity, was the light outdoors changes very quickly. One could imagine them painting. The light would be considerably different from when they started to completion.

[paulconnor]

Great lecture as always.... Really like Katie Hanson's lecture's as she is very informative, a little geeky, has unfathomable enthusiasm for impressionism and enjoyable to learn from....Thank you...  😃😃😃 Paul

[jimbosteen]

I was wondering why didn't you touch more on degas sculptures, there remarkable.?

[incognito]

One other thing she does not mention is how The term Impressionism was coined. The story was that an art critic saw the show and disdainfully, to criticize to works, implied these were not artworks but “ impressions” the name for this brand of art stuck.

[incognito]

Present day knowledge does not fully appreciate the advancement of the tube paint technology. Think of Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Every color he used was mixed on the spot by assistants and lifted up to him to paint into freshly applied plaster only in the section he was working. Now imagine if he had his paint already mixed in a tube. I wonder the magnificent work these and other masters would create with today’s technology.

[incognito]

Several issues not mentioned. The Salon; the official presenter of what was considered great art, stacked their walls approx. from floor to ceiling, butting works against each other. Also Impressionism was not considered acceptable art and rejected from the salon shows. Lastly, Impressionist listed their show as “ The Refusés” meaning the refused art. Which inadvertently drew large crowds as a result.

[suellen]

Very good information. But Katie Hanson needs to work on NOT saying "um" every few words -- it becomes distracting.

[incognito]

This is not to criticize, but this is the second video by MFA that mentions Japanese art and overlooks naming Utagawa Hiroshige. He was as famous in Japan and a noted artist in his own right and might be why Monet used him as a model of style and effective painting. Just a thought.

[dietmarventzke]

I watch this on my iPad. Why are the Pictures the size of a postage stamp on a large expanse of BLACK ? One needs a magnifying glass to admire the artwork. I am an artist (I think) and the picture should be of more importance than the large black void. I observe this often in art books. For design purpose, a tiny picture on a large empty page.

[incognito]

I beg to differ about Monet being the most masterly interpreter of water. Investigate the Artist Anders Zorn. He, in my mind, was the true master of water. Compare for yourself. This does not diminish Monet in any way. Comparisons are never a good idea.

[oneoftheninetynine]

Is Monet's art not interesting enough to fill 120 min with something interesting to say? Why did she keep repeating the same things over and over?

[incognito]

I know the speaker has time constraints so can’t speak to working methods. So, many artists, then as now, made “ studies” some in different media. Charcoal, pastel, oil or tempera. Quick unfinished “ideas” of a scene.

[edwardferry]

The artifice of vocal fry is almost unbearable but fascinating talk otherwise, thank you.