Impression: Painting Quickly in France, 1860-1890 [Hardcover]

Dr. Richard R. Brettell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 11, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0300084463 | ISBN-13: 978-0300084467 | Edition: First Edition

An investigation of the impressions, or painted sketches, that were actually done on the spot in France between 1860 and 1890. The book also surveys the various practices of individual artists in the making, signing, exhibiting and selling of impressions.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Impressionist paintings are easily recognized in museums. Lines are rarely distinct, backgrounds often blend into a blur, and objects are only objects in their faintness. Most art books will mention that impressionists wanted to feel time and use texture and shadow to convey the sense of vitality and movement to the viewer. But few books will explain how they did it. Based on a new traveling exhibit of French impressionist paintings, this work aims to examine the technique employed by artists such as Manet, Monet, and van Gogh. Brettell, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, focuses on the methodic brushwork and the scraping and the jabbing of paint onto canvas. By pointing out the various stages of particular paintings, he dispels the myths surrounding the ease and speed of impressionist production. Beautifully illustrated with full-color plates and detailed inserts, Brettell's text is an important new study in the old critique of technique. Jeff Snowbarger
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"[H]elpful in establishing precedents for the Impressionist's methods and goals." -- Willard Spiegelman, Wall Street Journal

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; First Edition edition (December 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300084463
• ISBN-13: 978-0300084467
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,271,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Impressionism

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