Special Exhibition Fee To Apply—

‘Impressionists By The Sea:’ Special Exhibition Coming To Wadsworth Atheneum

HARTFORD — From fishing villages to fashionable beachside resorts, the transformation of the Normandy and Brittany coasts was a favorite subject of many French artists of the 19th Century. The development of this theme between the 1850s and the 1890s is explored in “Impressionists by the Sea,” an international loan exhibition that will be on view at Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art February 9 to May 11.

 “Impressionists by the Sea” highlights the radical modernity of Monet, Renoir, Manet, and others by comparing their canvases to those of their predecessors, such as Corot, Courbet, Isabey, Jongkind, and Whistler. The exhibition also includes works by their contemporaries allied with the Paris Salon, notably Boudin, Daubigny, and Pelouse.

 The exhibition is arranged chronologically, with sections titled “The Public Face of the Coast,” “Before Impressionism,” “Early Impressionism,” “Beach Scenes at the Salon after 1870,” and “Impressionism in the 1880s.” There will be a selection of travel books and postcards of the period.

“Monet is certainly the chief player, beginning with his 1864 view of the shore at Sainte-Adresse,” said Eric Zafran, Susan Morse Hilles curator of European art at the Wadsworth Atheneum. “Then in 1870 while on his honeymoon at Trouville he produced his most joyous examples of vacationers at the beach. Unique to the exhibition in Hartford, the Trouville scenes will be reunited for the first time since they were painted.”

A group of Monet’s unconventional, virtuoso paintings also bring the exhibition to a stunning conclusion.

“In his beach scenes of the 1880s, Monet often eradicated any sign of human presence to focus on pure nature,” Mr Zafran continued. “He sought to capture the fluid violence or passive calm of the ocean, the rough texture of the rocks and cliffs, the effects of light and weather. Monet invites the viewer to share his solitary contemplation of the Normandy coast.”

The idea for the show was sparked ten years ago by two scenes of the beach at Trouville by Monet (1870) and Boudin (1863) in the collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum, and under the guidance of John House, Walter H. Annenberg Professor at Courtauld Institute of Art, London.

Dr House is the author of the exhibition catalogue, published by the Royal Academy of Arts (paperback, 154 pages, $39.95), which is available at The Museum Shop at the Wadsworth Atheneum.

“Impressionists by the Sea” has been organized by the Wadsworth Atheneum in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.  The Atheneum is the final venue.

A special exhibition fee of $10 will be applied to general museum admission for “Impressionists at The Sea.” Timed tickets to “Impressionists at the Sea” can be purchased at the museum or in advance by calling 877-600-MAIN (6246) or online at MuseumTIX.org. The last admission into the exhibition each day will be 90 minutes before closing.

The Atheneum will open on Tuesdays (a day the museum is usually closed) for “Impressionists by the Sea.” Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. On the first Thursday of every month for Phoenix Art After Hours: First Thursdays at the Atheneum, the museum remains open until 8 pm.

Regular admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 students, and free ages 12 and under. During Fine Art & Flowers, April 24-27, an additional fee of $3 per person will be added to all admission tickets.

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of is located at 600 Main Street, Hartford. Visit WadsworthAtheneum.org for further information.