Why Impressionists Were So Fascinated With Gardens
The recently released book, 'In the Gardens of Impressionism,' explores the allure of gardens for artists like Monet, Renoir, Morisot, and Pissarro during the late 19th century, a period marked by significant social transformation. The rise of leisure gardens became possible due to these changes, while advancements in horticulture brought new plant varieties through imperialism and technological progress. Ward cases facilitated the transport of plants globally, and greenhouses helped exotic species endure colder months. Darwin's theories on hybridization led to the creation of larger blooms. Parks established by Napoleon III in the 1850s played a crucial role in promoting public health. Manet’s 1863 work, 'Music in the Tuileries Gardens,' illustrated an older park, while Renoir captured gardens during and after Haussmann's renovations. Monet’s gardens in Argenteuil and Giverny were pivotal for his art, ultimately inspiring the Orangerie murals as a tribute to WWI.
Key facts
- Book 'In the Gardens of Impressionism' examines impressionists' fascination with gardens.
- Gardens became accessible to all social classes in the 19th century.
- New plants were introduced via imperial expansion and trade.
- Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward invented Ward cases for plant transport.
- Charles Darwin's discoveries advanced hybridization.
- Napoleon III's Paris parks were created for public hygiene from the 1850s.
- Manet's 'Music in the Tuileries Gardens' (1863) depicted an old park.
- Renoir's 1867 painting showed a not-yet-in-bloom flower bed on the Champs-Élysées.
- Renoir's 1875 'Woman with a Parasol in a Garden' featured an overgrown Montmartre garden.
- Monet painted secluded corners of Parc Monceau, avoiding Haussmann's new path.
- Monet's Argenteuil garden (1870s) included display beds and dahlias.
- After the Franco-Prussian war, gardens symbolized national renewal.
- Pissarro's kitchen gardens at Pontoise reflected his utopian socialist vision.
- Morisot's paintings linked her child's growth to cultivated nature.
- Monet planted sunflowers at Vétheuil after his wife's death in 1879.
- Monet's Giverny garden featured hybrid water lilies.
- Monet's Water Lilies murals at the Orangerie were a WWI memorial.
Entities
Artists
- Claude Monet
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Berthe Morisot
- Camille Pissarro
- Édouard Manet
- Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward
- Charles Darwin
- Napoleon III
- Baron Haussmann
Institutions
- Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
- The National Gallery
- Wallraf–Richartz Museum
- National Gallery of Art
- Orangerie
- The Conversation UK
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Tuileries Gardens
- Champs-Élysées
- Montmartre
- Parc Monceau
- Argenteuil
- London
- Alsace-Lorraine
- Germany
- Pontoise
- Vétheuil
- Seine
- Giverny
- Normandy