Leisure in Impressionist Seascapes

Thesis / Introduction

In the second half of the 19th century, the industrial revolution changed the way of life in the West. With the emergence of technological advancements, bigger cities, and booming population, came a modernized world. At the same time, a new movement appeared in art known as Impressionism. Impressionism is characterized by its small thin brush strokes, vivid colors, and non naturalistic style. Impressionist artists attempted to capture their impression of a scene rather than a specific moment in time. With the modernizing society and big cities, the weekend was invented, and the weekend brought vacationers who flocked to quieter more beautiful locations. These vacation spots were often on the waterfront, and while there are Impressionist paintings depicting urban environments, the Impressionist painters followed suit and took to the sea. This resulted in Impressionist seascapes that showed the modern life from their view as vacationers rather than city residents.In this collection are several Impressionist Seascapes featuring famous Impressionist painters including: Claude Monet and Édouard Manet. This exhibit will also aim to show: How Impressionist Seascapes succeeded in depicting the leisure and relaxation of the sea.  Each Impressionist artist this exhibit will look at, though part of the same movement, had their own distinct style, and this exhibit will also pose the question: how did these artists differ in their perspective and portrayal of the sea?

Claude Monet, Garden at Sainte-Adresse, 1867, Oil on Canvas, 38 5/8 x 51 1/8 in.,67.241

Famous French Impressionist painter Claude Monet depicts a leisurely scene on the French coast where he vacationed in the summer. In the foreground people enjoy the French coast and their time away from Urban life. The painting features vivid colors and the Impressionist loose brush stroke technique. While the scene emphasizes relaxation, Monet does not completely ignore Industrialization. In the foreground of the sea is a sailboat, but on the horizon line there are several steamboats, a sign of the modernizing times.

Auguste Renoir, By the Sea, 1883, Oil on canvas, 36 1/4 x 28 1/2 in. (92.1 x 72.4 cm), 29.100.125

Auguste Renoir, a French painter depicts his wife on the shores of what is most likely Normandy, a common vacation destination on the coast of France. His wife is the focal point and while the piece dances and moves, her face is clear and precise. The painting features vivid colors and thin brush strokes, both characteristic of the movement. Renoir’s wife is also in the foreground of the painting which is not always the case in Impressionist Seascapes. Her face is one of contentment and relaxation and she seems to be knitting or sewing, which are both activities that take place in people’s free time.

Édouard Manet, Boating, 1874, Oil on canvas, 38 1/4 x 51 1/4 in. (97.2 x 130.2 cm), 29.100.115

Manet's Boating is not technically a seascape, but it still belongs in this exhibition because it portrays relaxation and leisure in the setting of vacation and water. While the other paintings show the sea from a distance, Manet presents the activity of boating as another way to spend time at the sea. The boat is also distinctly not modern, this boat is merely for pleasure, contrary to the practicality of the modern steamboats. Like all the paintings in this collection, the most prominent color is blue, which contrasts the white of the man's vacation clothes.

Claude Monet, The Manneporte, 1883, Oil on Canvas, 25 3/4 x 32 in. (65.4 x 81.3 cm) 51.30.5

Similar to Renoir’s By the Sea, Monet’s painting is of the Normandy coast. Monet painted this from the popular fishing village Etretat. The painting is Impressionist in its loose brush stroke and strong use of lighting which covers underside of the rock. The rock formation depicted was a popular destination for vacationers. Though this painting does not depict leisure in the same way that some of the other works in this exhibit, it still shows leisure in its lack of modern content. If someone was visiting the Manneporte then they were not there for work, this is shown through the two distant figures observing the rock from up close.

Paul Cézanne, The Gulf of Marseilles Seen from L'Estaque, 1885, Oil on Canvas, 28 3/4 x 39 1/2 in.
(73 x 100.3 cm), 29.100.67

Cézanne’s, The Gulf of Marseilles Seen from L'Estaque, might initially seem like an outlier in this exhibit because of its slight difference in technique. Importantly however, is its depiction again, of a seascape in France. From a distant perspective, this is the first time in the exhibit something as small as a village is depicted. Even with the buildings in the foreground, Cézanne still captures the leisure of the sea through vivid, contrasting colors, as the water washes up against civilized life.