Is Paris still impressionist? Yes, despite time passing by, it has somehow conserved the allure of Impressionism which still attracts a lot of tourists all around the world coming to visit Paris, and Montmartre neighbourhood, in particular.
What has left Impressionism and its bohemian lifestyle to Paris nowadays?
For sure a lot of paintings, illustrations, and buildings which are still available to visit.
The Musee d'Orsay is the biggest museum in Paris dedicated to Impressionism.
Are you ready to be impressed by the Impressionism in Montmartre?
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| Antoine Blanchard - Le Moulin Rouge, Place Blanche a Montmartre |
Recently, I have spent 2 months working in Paris, and living in Montmartre. One of my favourite hobbies was wandering among Montmartre neighborhood streets, got lost in them, discovering ancient building, restaurants or cafes, and learning their history.
Impressionism has always been my favourite artistic movement, and Montmartre is its birthplace. What a perfect combination for me!
However, what is “Impressionism”?
According to the Collins dictionary Impressionism is a style of painting developed in France between 1870 and 1900 chiefly by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley, which concentrated on showing the effects of light on things rather than on clear and exact detail, and having the aim of objectively recording experience by a system of fleeting impressions, especially of natural light effects.
The term Impressionism comes from a painting by Claude Monet, which he showed in an exhibition with the name "Impression, Soleil Levant" ("Impression, Sunrise").
Impressionism is an explosion of Colors, Lights, and Happiness. It gives me a sense of Pleasure and Beauty and immerges me in a context of endless celebrations and excesses, in different places like restaurants, bars, circus, and brothels.
Talking about Happiness and Lights, it is impossible not to make reference to Renoir, also known as the Painter of Happiness. His timelessly charming paintings are the embodiment of Happiness, Love, and Beauty. It seems like Renoir was animated by a genuine enthusiasm towards life (joy de vivre) and never ceased to be amazed by the infinite wonders of creation, enjoying its Beauty and feeling the desire to transfer onto the canvas the memory and impression of every visual perception had struck him.
Impressionism has always been my favourite artistic movement, and Montmartre is its birthplace. What a perfect combination for me!
However, what is “Impressionism”?
According to the Collins dictionary Impressionism is a style of painting developed in France between 1870 and 1900 chiefly by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley, which concentrated on showing the effects of light on things rather than on clear and exact detail, and having the aim of objectively recording experience by a system of fleeting impressions, especially of natural light effects.
The term Impressionism comes from a painting by Claude Monet, which he showed in an exhibition with the name "Impression, Soleil Levant" ("Impression, Sunrise").
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| Monet - Impression, Soleil Levant |
Impressionism is an explosion of Colors, Lights, and Happiness. It gives me a sense of Pleasure and Beauty and immerges me in a context of endless celebrations and excesses, in different places like restaurants, bars, circus, and brothels.
Talking about Happiness and Lights, it is impossible not to make reference to Renoir, also known as the Painter of Happiness. His timelessly charming paintings are the embodiment of Happiness, Love, and Beauty. It seems like Renoir was animated by a genuine enthusiasm towards life (joy de vivre) and never ceased to be amazed by the infinite wonders of creation, enjoying its Beauty and feeling the desire to transfer onto the canvas the memory and impression of every visual perception had struck him.
One of his best known Impressionist works is the Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (Bal du Moulin de la Galette).
The painting depicts an open-air scene, crowded with people at a popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre close to where he lived. The work is a typically Impressionist snapshots of real life, full of sparkling Color and Light.
The painting depicts an open-air scene, crowded with people at a popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre close to where he lived. The work is a typically Impressionist snapshots of real life, full of sparkling Color and Light.
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| Renoir - Bal du Moulin de la Galette |
On the other side, talking about Excess it is essential mentionig Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, painter, caricaturist, and illustrator who enjoyed and depicted spectacles, night life, and the tawdry side of Montmartre. Best known for his art portraying the café-concert and the entertainers who performed there, this exhibition explores how Toulouse-Lautrec used portraiture to comment on the absurdity and excess of Bohemian life in Paris at the turn of the Century.
Among his favourite places where the night life of the Butte of Montmartre took place were: Moulin Rouge, Moulin de la Galette, or Café du Rat-Mort. He used to make drawings and illustrations of the dancers and artists of the time, but also of prostitutes of whom he was client of.
Among his favourite places where the night life of the Butte of Montmartre took place were: Moulin Rouge, Moulin de la Galette, or Café du Rat-Mort. He used to make drawings and illustrations of the dancers and artists of the time, but also of prostitutes of whom he was client of.
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| Toulouse-Lautrec - Moulin Rouge |
What has left Impressionism and its bohemian lifestyle to Paris nowadays?
For sure a lot of paintings, illustrations, and buildings which are still available to visit.
The Musee d'Orsay is the biggest museum in Paris dedicated to Impressionism.
It is worth a visit also the Orangerie where few big paintings of Monet are present, and the Marmottan Museum, a private collection of Monet, Berthe Morisot, Pisarro, and other Impressionists.
Among the buildings available to visit, there is the famous Moulin Rouge in Montmartre, and the Lapin Agile, a cabaret restaurant where artists can still play music and perform at night.
Last but not least, The Montmartre Museum where you can find the illustrations of Toulouse-Lautrec of bars, restaurants, and artists at the time, paintings of Utrillo and Suzanne Valadon, photos, writings, and a beautiful Impressionist garden with the swing used by Renoir to depict a "The Balançoire" painting.
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| Renoir - La balançoire |
Are you ready to be impressed by the Impressionism in Montmartre?
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