ARTH 558
Reading Impressionism Fall 2012
Division I
This is not the current course catalog

In this seminar we study the rich and often provocative critical literature focused on the French Impressionist movement, from its emergence in Paris in the 1870s up to the present day. Our focus will be on essays, books, and exhibition catalogues that address Impressionism as a whole, rather than studies of the work of individual artists. We will address a variety of critical and historical issues: How do we define Impressionism? Which artists can be included under the term “Impressionist?” What were the first critical responses to Impressionism in the 1870s? Is Impressionism a matter of technique or subject? How has our understanding of Impressionism changed along with the discipline of art history? Readings will draw upon early critical reviews of the eight Impressionist group shows held between 1874 and 1886; formalist critiques of the first half of the twentieth century (and later); biographical approaches; studies of technique and artistic practice; and social histories of art. We will pay special attention to the role played by exhibitions and exhibition catalogues in our evolving understanding of Impressionism.