Currently at CMoA: Not far from the norm [collection] but [entirely] worth your while

Impressionism in a New Light: From Monet to Stieglitz 

May 12 - August 26

The title of the show rings true; even though Impressionism influenced Pictorialist photography, it is rare to see Impressionist paintings displayed alongside the photographs of the same period. Organized by Amanda Zehnder, associate curator of fine arts, and Linda Benedict-Jones, curator of photography, the exhibit showcases much of the museum's own collection in a new way, encouraging visitors to look broadly at visual art produced around the turn of the 20th century.

While the first Impressionist exhibition was in 1874, Pictorialism developed later, in the 1890s. Pictorialists held that photography was more than a mechanical way to document the world; carefully photographing subjects to produce different visual effects required creative methods and artistry.

The Impressionists' ability to capture a sketchy glimpse of an image influenced photographers to exercise the camera lens and create slightly out of focus images. The gently blurred lines of Pictorialism lend a dreamy appearance to the photography and imitate Impressionist works.

Compare the photograph The Kiss (1904), by Clarence H. White, on loan from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with an etching The Coiffure (1890-91), by Mary Cassatt. The care taken to produce these delicate images enhances the femininity of the subjects. As Cassatt's work emulates contemporaneous Japanese prints, it is evident that American and European artists found inspiration in the different art they were exposed to.

Impressionism in a New Light is distributed among three galleries. The second is where side by side comparisons of Pictorialist photography with Impressionist etchings or paintings like the one above can be found. The first room, however, introduces the audience to the exhibition by featuring mostly Impressionist paintings and some published criticism dating from the first Impressionist exhibitions in Paris. This witty display of what are now considered masterpieces, paired with disapproving commentary from notable critics of the time, places the visitor into the haughty Paris art scene at the end of the 19th century.

The careful organization of artworks in the first gallery, along with informative wall texts, provide insight to the works as well as the artists. Take for example three paintings of similar subject matter that, when placed next to each other, encourage a conversation about three artists at different stages in their careers.

Paul Cézanne's Rocks at the Seashore (1865-66), with its frustrated blocks of thick paint, is a perfect demonstration from his early career of what would prove to be his lifelong obsession over line and composition. Eugène Boudin's articulate strokes in The Port of Trouville (1882), from his later career, exemplify his polished success as one of the first "en plein air" painters, meaning he painted outside, directly from nature. Finally, the shimmering pastels in Cliffs near Dieppe (1882) by Claude Monet, a student of Boudin, signify the maturing artist as he discovered his niche.

This thoughtful progression from one painting to the next enhances the viewer's experience. By displaying much of its own collection in a new way, the Carnegie Museum of Art is not only reminding visitors that it has a rich collection but is also educating them about the art and artists in an engaging way. Vibrant paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, and Paul Gaugin, along with sensational black and white photographs by Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, and others, encapsulate how visual art progressed in an era when cameras were a relatively new tool, forcing people to see things as they never had before.

The third room of the exhibition, opening up to the expanse of Monet's Water Lillies (c. 1915-26), offers a final take on Impressionism and Pictorialism. A few photographs hang on opposing walls, but Monet's work undoubtedly dominates the gallery space. Lastly, take a minute to watch a looped excerpt from Sacha Guitry's film Ceux de chez nous (c. 1915), which shows the master at work in his Giverny gardens.