The work of art : plein air painting and artistic identity in nineteenth-century France / Anthea Callen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Callen, Anthea, author.

Contributor:

Class of 1932 Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Plein air painting--France.

Plein air painting.

Landscape painting, French--19th century.

Landscape painting, French.

Painting--Technique--History--19th century.

Painting.

Artists--France--History--19th century.

Artists.

History.

Painting--Technique.

France.

Physical Description:

336 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

London : Reaktion Books Ltd, 2015.

Summary:

In The Work of Art, Anthea Callen explores the paintings, self-portraits, portraits of fellow artists, photographs, prints and studio images of nineteenth-century French landscape painters including the Impressionists. At the same time she considers the emergence of modern artistic identity in the context of creative work. Artists and their paintings under the microscope here include Courbet, Cezanne and Pissarro, as well as their precursors and followers. The book examines their modes of self-representation and painting methods to explore the formation of avant-garde art and modern artistic identity, while paying particular attention to the painters' touches and mark making. She argues that landscape painting in general, and the plein air oil sketch in particular, were key drivers of change in artistic practice in the nineteenth century, which in turn led to the Impressionist revolution. In this beautifully illustrated, highly readable volume, Callen offers fresh insights into the development of avant-garde French painting and the concept of the modern artist, delving deeper into the topic than any before.

Contents:

1 The Origins of Plein-air Painting to 1850 33

2 Maître Courbet: The Worker-Painter 105

3 Cézanne, Pissarro and Knife Painting 159

4 Colour: The Material and the Ephemeral 211.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1932 Fund.

ISBN:

9781780233550

1780233558

OCLC:

909968561

Publisher Number:

99963199501