Activities

Painting In The Open Air – Peindre En Plein Air

While the studio remained the place where many modern artworks were created, during the 19th century there was an increasing desire amongst a number of painters to paint in the open air. How and why did painting outdoors revolutionize modern painting? Looking at key works by artists including Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet and André Derain we’ll trace the increasing desire amongst avant-garde painters to work in the open air.
We will look particularly at the Forest of Fontainebleau, the French coast and Paris the capital as sites for audacious modern painting. and we will explore how and why the Forest, as well as villages like Barbizon, became springboards for artistic innovation.