John House was the doyen of historians of impressionism. Far from being lightweight or ingratiating, the impressionists were revealed in House's writings as sharp observers of social change. Instead of being a self-contained movement, they were shown to be clever negotiators of artistic conventions and institutions. House played an essential role in transforming the academic study of this period and presided over the development of its public appreciation through the spectacular exhibitions that he curated.
Highlighting the first-ever exhibition of Paul Czanne's complete collection at The Courtauld Gallery, this catalogue celebrates the 75th anniversary of The Courtauld Institute of Arts. It features an exceptional array of seminal paintings, alongside rarely seen drawings and watercolors, showcasing the breadth of Czanne's artistic evolution throughout his career. The collection's significance is underscored by its quality and diversity, offering a comprehensive insight into one of the most influential artists in art history.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) was one of the most audacious and original landscape artists of his age. Throughout his career, he continually experimented with composition, light, paint handling, and pictorial structure in innovative new ways that challenged traditional––and contemporary––painting. He taught himself by working side-by-side with fellow Impressionist masters Monet and Sisley, and in the 1870s began to define his distinctive landscape style of quick, silvery brushstrokes. By the end of the decade he had moved decisively in the direction of unparalleled painterly freedom.This stunning book is the first to examine Renoir’s landscape art in depth, tracing its evolution from the beginning of his career through his Impressionist period and the early 1880s, when he began to incorporate new landscape motifs and new levels of coloristic intensity in paintings after traveling to Algeria and Italy. With over 200 illustrations, a detailed chronology, and bibliography, the book includes essays by highly distinguished scholars that discuss the range and importance of these works and present many fresh discoveries. They also place Renoir’s landscapes in the overall context of the genre in 19th-century France, revealing how his experiments were radical and––in ways that have not yet been fully acknowledged––influential on the later development of modern art.
John House examines the many facets of the work and what it reveals about Renoir as a man and artist. He asks, "What did it mean to paint a picture like La Promenade in France in 1870, in the final months of Napoleon III's Second Empire?" The reader is invited to look at the canvas - and Impressionism - as a rejection of the idealist world of academic art and as a challenge to contemporary social norms.
This series acts as an introduction to key artists and movements in art history. Each title contains 48 full-page colour plates, accompanied by extensive notes, and numerous comparative illustrations in colour or black and white, a concise introduction, select bibliography and detailed source information for the images. Monographs on individual artists also feature a brief chronology.
