Artlog

During the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-centuries, artists from across Europe set themselves up outdoors in the clear, pure light of the Italian countryside to practice transcribing the atmosphere and depth of picturesque landscape views. Originally intended as studies for more formal, idealized studio paintings, the sketches they created are today considered highly satisfying (and increasingly valuable) works of art in their own right. Sur le Motif: Painting in Nature around 1800 features recent Museum acquisitions by artists such as Jean-Victor Bertin, Jean-Joseph Xavier Bidauld, Camille Corot, Simon Denis, and Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes. Loans from local collections, both public and private, broaden the scope of this concise survey.