Impressionists by the Sea

by John House, David Hopkins

Impressionists by the Sea accompanies a joyous summer exhibition of the same name at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Through some sixty popular Impressionist works, coauthor John House considers the pictorial representation of the seaside during the 19th century, when the coastline of northern France was transformed from a fishing center into a popular vacation spot.

This handsomely produced book reveals how painting developed in tandem with social and economic changes. House shows how painters initially cast the coastline in a romantic role, focusing on the evocation of the sublime force of nature and the picturesque display of local fishermen, but by the early 1860s—at the moment the resorts of Deauville and Trouville were coming into vogue—painters such as Boudin, Manet, and Monet were capturing vacationers in all their relaxed glory.

EXHIBITION

Royal Academy of Arts, London, July 7–September 30, 2007
Phillips Collection, Washington DC, October 20–July 13, 2008
Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, February 9–May 11, 2008

Genres: Art

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

John Peter Humphrey House was a British art historian and lecturer.

You may be looking for John C. House, American poet and novelist

John House was the doyen of historians of impressionism. Far from being lightweight or ingratiating, the impressionists were revealed in House's writings as sharp observers of social change; instead of being a self-contained movement, they were shown to be clever negotiators of artistic conventions and institutions. As well as playing an essential role in transforming the academic study of this period, House presided over the development of its public appreciation through the spectacular exhibitions that he curated.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I checked this out from the library so that I could gaze at pictures of the ocean, since I no longer live near one, I also read the essay. I learned something. Artists or writers would visit a seaside place, until it became popular by the masses. (whom the artists or writers had made the travelers aware of the location) and then move onto a new location. I really enjoyed seeing the paintings. The sea is never boring to look at.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breath-taking exhibit -- 2008-- at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT (with the Royal Academy of Arts, London and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.) I loved House's writing and his use of not only art but also vintage postcards. Great writing, beautiful art. Great exhibit!!