Road to Impressionism leads to Frick

‘ ‘ ‘ Shortly before the time of Monet’s famous water lilies, a rebellious group of French… ‘ ‘ ‘ Shortly before the time of Monet’s famous water lilies, a rebellious group of French artists were meeting up in the small village of Barbizon in the mid-19th century. Their mission was simple ‘mdash; paint the nature that surrounded them. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Beginning this Saturday, The Frick Art ‘amp; Historical Center will host ‘The Road to Impressionism: Barbizon Landscapes from the Walters Art Museum,’ featuring 32 pieces from artists such as Theodore Rousseau and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot showcasing the forests and waters in which the painters spent their time. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Clayton house is still decorated with the same Barbizon paintings that Henry Clay Frick collected. Visitors will be able to witness these paintings, as well as the exhibition. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s neat for us to be able to present this exhibition because we have similar pieces that have been here for over 100 years,’ said Langel, the Frick media and marketing manager. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Sarah Hall, director of curatorial affairs, explained why it was so common for American collectors like Frick and Walters to target the Barbizon paintings. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘These were some of the first contemporary paintings collected in America. Because the country was young, collectors were without years of artistic education or people telling them what a good painting was. The natural inclination towards landscapes in the Barbizon paintings appealed to the Protestant work ethic,’ said Hall. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In the 18th century, Hall explained, most painters went to Italy for training. It wasn’t long, however, until the French started to protest. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Barbizon was a meeting place outside of Paris, where artists could gather and paint outdoors,’ said Hall. ‘It really was an anti-academic movement. They were saying ‘I don’t need to go to Italy. I don’t need to put a figure in the painting to make it important. I can take inconsequential subject matter and make it interesting. It doesn’t need to be an allegory about life.” ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The painters of this time employed dark colors for their work, a literal contrast to the bright and cheery pieces of the Impressionists who came after them. The Barbizon artists did much of their work in the Forest of Fontainebleau. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The forest was often described as a savage environment. There were big old oak trees, and [it] wasn’t very attractive. But as a reaction to the 19th-century Romantic movement, suddenly savage became very appealing,’ said Hall. ‘This was also the time when tourism was beginning. So the tourists would get maps of the forest and walk around, but the Barbizon artists deliberately ignored them.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While the exhibit is arranged thematically by location of the landscapes rather than chronologically, it allows viewers to see the changes in painting style that led to Impressionism. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There are great comparisons. In Barbizon paintings, you get a sense of the timeless and eternal experience,’ said Hall. ‘But in Impressionism, you really see a particular, fleeting moment.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Frick will also sponsor a number of programs to supplement ‘Road to Impressionism.’ Tours will be available on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. On Fridays the gallery will host talks with museum staff. Reservations are generally required and full descriptions of the programs can be found on the museum’s Web site, TheFrickPittsburgh.org. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In conjunction with the Barbizon landscapes on display, The Frick will also present its collection of drawings by 19th-century French painter Jean-Francois Millet. ‘We own the second-largest collection of his work on paper,’ said Langel. ‘He was very influential to the artists who made a name in France.’ Because of the fragility of the 11 pieces, they are rarely exposed to light, spending most of their time in storage. The display, titled ‘A Devotion to Work,’ will run at the same time as ‘Road to Impressionism.’