Escapism: French Artists' Retreat into the Garden

France, in the mid to late nineteenth century, endured dramatic change and upheaval in the form of industrialization. The Napoleonic Era ended in 1815 and France was in a state of economic distress. It found itself significantly behind its neighboring countries in regards to industrialization, so the following years saw an increase in the number of factories and urbanization, particularly in cities like Paris. French artists responded to this atmosphere of social upheaval and growth by escaping to the countryside and taking on a new, radical approach to painting called “Impressionism.”

Gardens played a significant role in the late nineteenth century as they were often the destination for people escaping the fast-paced life of the city. It is the very nature of a garden to create a stylized nature that is unlike the world around it. French artists, such as Monet, Manet, Hassam, Cassatt, and Pissarro, used gardens as a setting to portray people escaping the chaotic and modern world around into an idealized, Utopian scene of life. Not only were they promoting escapism, they were also commenting on the effects of industrialization. Industrial development opened up more time for leisurely activities, such as painting, so they retreated into the countryside. These artists’ loose brushstrokes composing tranquil garden scenes signify the free, sanctuary-like nature of gardens that offer escape during rapid industrial growth in the late nineteenth century.

Claude Monet

Camille Monet on a Garden Bench

1873

Oil on canvas

2002.62.1

Camille Monet on a Bench is a portrayal of Claude Monet’s wife in a private garden at their home in Argenteuil, France that they moved to in the late 1880s to escape from city life. The sunlight peers into the background, which creates a sparkling glow among the flowers. The dark, somber attitude in the foreground contrasts significantly with the background, causing the garden to look even more vibrant and otherworldly. Camille’s surrounding area serves as a resting place and escape as she telegraphs an expression of sadness and slouches on the bench.

Mary Cassatt

Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly

1880

Oil on canvas

65.184

In Lydia Crocheting in the Garden at Marly,  Cassatt depicts a woman knitting in the garden outside her house in a village outside of Paris. Cassatt emphasizes the domestic environment in this painting, portraying a craft that was increasingly valued due to the boom in manufactured goods from factories. She is making a statement about social climate of industrialization by highlighting the beauty and value of authentically made goods in nature. In addition, Cassatt effectively captures the dazzling sunlight off the flowers and the woman’s hat, enhancing the idyllic portrayal of this scene.

Édouard Manet

The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil

1874

Oil on canvas

1976.201.14

This painting features Claude Monet and his family enjoying the outdoors, painted by fellow painter and friend, Édouard Manet. This scene takes on an almost Garden of Eden type of serenity. Camille and Jean, Monet’s wife and son, lay in the grass while Claude picks apples, insinuating a oneness with nature. The chickens in the corner offer a quaint connection to animals and farm life. The loose, smudged brushstrokes give it a hazy, dream-like quality to further illustrate how the Monet’s appear to have escaped into this alcove of nature for a peaceful afternoon.

Frederick Childe Hassam

 French Tea Garden (Also Known as the Terra-Cuite Tea Set)

1910 

Oil on canvas

Hunter Museum of American Art

Hassam’s French Tea Garden depicts a garden in Paris that provides a peaceful respite from the noise of the city with a woman prepared for a visitor. The gestural brushstrokes cause the leaves to look like they are blowing in a breeze, which exudes a calming effect. The woman appears to have a pleasant tea party planned for an unseen companion, allowing the viewer to step in as the fellow diner. The knitting emphasizes the value of hand-crafted goods and the availability of time for leisurely activities made possible by the industrial revolution.

Camille Pissarro

The Garden of the Tuileries on a Spring Morning

1899

Oil on canvas

1992.103.3

This scene is a portrayal of Pissarro’s view of the Garden of Tuileries from his apartment window in the late nineteenth century. It is clear this garden is vast and open to the public, but still indicates a sense of separation and otherness. A horizon of buildings and factories can be seen in the background, but the garden is surrounded by a barrier of blooming trees. The city encroaches on the borders, but the garden flourishes, showing a myriad of people escaping the hustle and bustle of Paris to wander around its peaceful landscape.