Book
Art in the Making: Impressionism

While Impressionist art appears to be effortless and spontaneous, it actually involves an intricate and varied approach to painting. This book investigates how Impressionist paintings were made and what materials were used. Impressionist artists came to the fore during a period of dramatic change in patterns of artistic training and patronage. The book begins with an essay that sets their techniques within the wider context of French nineteenth-century painting. The authors discuss such subjects as open-air painting, the Impressionist use of color, and the paint layers and surfaces of Impressionist paintings. Focusing in particular on the new synthetic pigments that became available in tubes, the authors show how this development allowed artists to free themselves from traditional studio practice and to render their subject matter more vividly. Fifteen paintings from The National Gallery are examined, using X-rays, infra-red photography, and the analysis of pigments and paint media. An analysis of the artists' palette, a chronology, biographies of the artists discussed, a glossary and an extensive bibliography complete this interesting and valuable work.

© 1998-2008 The Roland Collection & Pira Intl.