In addition to working as an intern at the Nelson-Atkins this summer, I am taking an Impressionism art history course. The Museum has provided many opportunities to look at the works of art in person rather than on a projection screen.
In my free time last week, I made a visit to the Impressionist gallery to look at the Museum’s very own Boulevard de Capucines, painted by Claude Monet in 1873. This painting was in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 and was criticized for its loose brush work and lack of realism. Now it is one of the most recognized and loved paintings in the Museum’s European collection.
I was thrilled to find another painting I’ve been studying in my class nearby. One of Monet’s immense Water Lilies panels takes up a full wall of the gallery. As I examined it, I found the incredible textures and brushstrokes unbelievable. A book or computer screen does not do this painting justice.
My trip to the gallery really opened up a new world for me. Instead of learning about art in a dark classroom I am able to experience the real thing. I am excited to learn about other artists as well so I am able to take a real look at these one-of-a-kind paintings.