August 24, 2012

Summer Art...Visual Chicken Soup for the Soul!


Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries
Vincent Van Gogh June 1888
Now and then I like to post about art because I think art, along with music and laughter, are chicken soup for the soul. And who can't use some chicken soup? So before summer turns to fall, some visual chicken soup for your viewing pleasure.

Summer Paintings from Impressionist Artists

Impressionism began in France in the mid-19th century. This art movement emphasized free flowing brushstrokes and use of light and color, as opposed to the traditional approach of using somber tones, and following more exacting lines and contours. I think Impressionist art has a dreamy quality and many of my favorite paintings are from this period.
"Merely think, here is a little square of blue, here an oblong of pink, here a streak of yellow, and paint it just as it looks to you." ~Claude Monet
Garden at Sainte-Adresse
Claude Monet 1867

Monet painted this colorful, lively image of people enjoying a lovely day by the water while spending a summer at the resort town of Sainte-Adresse in France. In the foreground, we see Monet’s father, Adolphe, and his cousin, Sophie, looking out toward the sea. His cousin, Jeanne, and her father, Dr. Adolphe Lecadre are at the fence.

Bathers at La Grenouillère
Claude Monet 1869
In this painting depicting the working class French resort at La Grenouillère on the Seine River, Monet used broader, more flowing brushstrokes than his earlier work at Sainte-Adresse. He was friends with Pierre-Auguste Renoir and they worked side-by-side during this period.



La Grenouillère
Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1869
Monet and Renoir were friends and both painted similar scenes at this French resort in the summer of 1869. Renoir used tighter brushstrokes and a more refined style portraying the figures in the scene, especially in such details as the clothing. Looks like a lovely place to spend the summer.

Garden in Rue Carcel
Paul Gauguin 1881

Paul Gauguin, a friend of Van Gogh, is best known for his colorful paintings of French Polynesia after he left France and moved to Tahiti. But I found this peaceful scene of his family enjoying a summer day at the Garden in Rue Carcel from his Paris collection. 

"Painting as it is now, promises to become more subtlemore like music and less like sculptureand above all, it promises color." ~Vincent Van Gogh (in a letter to his brother, Theo)
Farmhouse in Provence
Vincent Van Gogh 1888
Painted at the height of Van Gogh’s career, the vivid colors in Farmhouse in Provence portray the bright summer sun and blooming flowers amid the scorching heat in the beautiful countryside of southern France.

Couples in the Voyer d'Argenson Park at Asnières
Vincent Van Gogh 1887
Among the first paintings Van Gogh exhibited in Paris, he applied a technique of small dots and expressive dashes of color, giving the painting an almost woven fabric texture. One can only imagine how Vincent, ever the romantic, wistfully observed the couples as he painted them, perhaps dreaming of walking along with a sweetheart one day. Sad it was not to be but by channeling that passion through art, he created stunning paintings! 

Roses Trémières
Berthe Morisot 1884

Considered the "Grande Dame" of the French Impressionist art movement, Berthe Morisot was one of the leading female Impressionist artists, along with American painter, Mary Cassatt. This painting of roses and hollyhocks in a garden used thick yet delicate brushstrokes giving the flowers the impression of swaying in the summer breeze.

Hanging Laundry Out to Dry on a Summer Day
Berthe Morisot 1875
Using a subtle palette of colors, delicate brushstrokes and creative splashes of light, Berthe Morisot  took the oh, so boring task of hanging out the laundry and made it an interesting subject of art. The painting received high praise in art circles and was considered one of her best early works. I love that she made such a common chore the focus of her canvas. (Who paints laundry?! Really, I think it's great!) And those whites are so crisp and bright! 

Children Playing on the Beach
Mary Cassatt 1864
Acclaimed American Impressionist painter, Mary Cassatt, began studying painting at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts when she was 15. At the age of 22, she traveled to Paris to study under such masters as Edgar Degas. In Children Playing on the Beach, she captures the cherubic innocence and intent focus of children playing in the sand unaware of the world around them. I especially love the way she painted the child's hands clumsily holding onto the shovel the way young children often do.

Summertime
Mary Cassatt 1894
Mary Cassatt created this painting in the summer of 1894 while staying at a cottage in the Paris countryside. Her painting was praised for its flowing brushstrokes and deft use of light and color. The young woman and child are gazing into the rippling water and the image easily depicts a carefree summer day. 

Summer of 1909
Frank Weston Benson
Famous for his realistic portraits, American Impressionist artist, Frank Weston Benson, used colorful brushstrokes and luminous light to create his paintings. His favorite models were his family and friends. In Summer of 1909, the artist painted his three daughters and their friend at the family's summer house in Maine. I particularly like the way he painted the willowy white summer dresses, complimenting the fluffy white clouds and contrasting with the bright blue sky. Like the hat in the foreground too. Easy to see why his artwork was so popular.

Hope you enjoyed the art...visual chicken soup for the soup!

©2012 JerseyLil’s 2 Cents
Images are in public domain via WikiPaintings and Wikipedia sources.

42 comments:

  1. You're right - art DOES do the soul good! Nice to be able to enjoy something you are passionate about. This is a great 'simmer collection'!

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    1. Thanks Melody! I love art and you are so right, it does do the soul good. I’m glad you enjoyed this summer collection! :)

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  2. How nice it is to be sitting here after a busy day at work, scrolling through these lovely paintings. This is most definitely chicken soup for the soul, Madilyn! In my own work as an artist, van Gogh's use of bright primary and secondary colors has been very influential. I also love Cassatt, Gaugin, and Monet's styles.

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    1. Thanks Kris! I’ve seen some of the wonderful art you’ve created (posted on your site) and I can clearly see the Van Gogh and Impressionist influence especially in the colors. Art is most definitely chicken soup for the soul (and I sure needed this as well...lol!). :)

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  3. I love impressionism! Especially I love Claude Monet's masterpieces!!! *_* Thank you for this post, Madilyn! I apologize, that I visit you so seldom and tweet you back too, I have now a few time for a communication with my fave bloggers, cuz for 2 months I need to take care about our big house with dog, birds, chickens and garden alone *_* Our oldmen were gone to Brasil=))

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    1. Hi Eva and thanks so much for the retweet of my post!! :) Monet is one of my favorites along with Van Gogh and many of the Impressionist artists. No need to apologize for not visiting very often, I get so behind in keeping up with all my fav blog friends too! Dogs, birds, chickens, big house and garden, you do have a lot to take care of! I can just about keep up with my two dogs...lol!

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  4. Just loved some of the art on here. As easy as it looks, painting is incredibly difficult. I tried my hand once, black on white. I was doing ok and at a certain point I should have stopped. I kept going until the whole canvas was completely black. I haven't picked up a brush since.

    Talking of chicken soup, I haven't forgotten the clam chowder :)

    Lovely post.

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    1. Thanks Rum-Punch-Drunk! You are right, painting is incredibly difficult (unless you are just naturally gifted like these artists, sadly I am not!). Tried my hand at painting w/acrylics years ago. Well, let’s just say it was colorful...LOL! I did have fun mixing colors and can easily see why Van Gogh loved to mix and create new colors. Loved your story about how you tried your hand at painting and thanks for sharing that. It reminded me of a painting I once saw by the American artist, Jackson Pollack. You know, a completely black canvas could have been sold as modern art...LOL!

      I have definitely not forgotten about the clam chowder! Fall will be coming soon and then I’ll make a batch, post pics and recipe. Thanks! :)

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  5. Surely, just as opium is opium for the masses, chicken soup is chicken soup for the soul! and if so, where does chocolate fit in? However I love your summer collection.

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    1. Hi Sci-Fri Gene and thanks! Glad you liked the summer collection. As a big fan of chocolate, maybe I should have made this "chocolate for the soul." :)

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  6. I love these paintings so very much. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Robert, you are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed the paintings. :)

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  7. Definitely, the period of art I love best. I guess I prefer the outer world to the inner, and no one captured it more vividly than these painters. Renoir is a special favorite of mine-you can feel his conviviality, his love of life, in every brushstroke. But the same, I guess, could be said for all the Impressionists.

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    1. Marty, we are on the same page about the Impressionist art period. Van Gogh is my favorite but I love Renoir too and his zest for life came through in every brushstroke. Really I prefer all these Impressionist artists as a whole to artists of any other period. Thanks! :)

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  8. as I scrolled down the page, I caught a glimpse of Van Gogh's sky and I knew it was him... Love everything he has ever touched.

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    1. Hi Ana. Yes, Van Gogh’s skies were spectacular! Btw, I think you are a fabulous artist yourself and congrats on getting published!! :)

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  9. Thank you for this wonderful treat. What I miss most from living in Los Angeles and working at UCLA is visiting the art museums.

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    1. You are very welcome, Inger! :) I’m glad you enjoyed the art. Whenever I have a chance, I try to visit art museums.

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  10. I enjoyed this art VERY much!! It made me feel as though I was a part of what was going on. A person can get lost in there.

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    1. Thanks so much Kristina! I wanted my post to have the feel of being at an art museum. It is so easy to get lost in those wonderful Impressionist era paintings! :)

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  11. I enjoy those pictures. Something very relaxing about them. Blue skies, few clouds, bright colours. Beats the grey and heavy snow of winter in Canada.

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    1. Thank you! Glad you liked the paintings Bear and hope you’re feeling much better! :)

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  12. great inspirational pictures

    plz follow me on:
    http://fashiondesignsblog.wordpress.com

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    1. Thank you for stopping by my blog and I'm so pleased you found the pictures inspirational! I am following your wonderful fashion blog. :)

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  13. Thank you for the beautiful pictures. Chicken soup for the soul indeed!

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    1. Hi Meg and thanks! :) Yes, beautiful art is truly chicken soup for the soul!

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  14. Wow, what amazing paintings! And so fun to see paintings from such famous artists too. Art, and really expression of passionate creativity, is truly like a breath of fresh air. And you can never get enought of those I think, so thank you for sharing this. :-)

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    1. You’re very welcome Alexandra! These Impressionist artists were truly amazing. Yes passionate creativity really describes it so well! :)

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  15. I used to have prints like that on my office walls and at home. Brings back good memories, having gone rather minimalist these days. Another great post.

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    1. Thanks Neil! :) I have prints of Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Crows and Monet’s Water lilies in my office, Van Gogh’s Café Terrace in my kitchen and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in my laundry room so I am surrounded by Impressionist paintings. Glad these paintings brought back good memories for you!

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    1. Great to see you again CrazyMama!! :) You’re back!!! I’m so glad you loved my art post!

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  17. all beautiful works. i love impressionism and post-impressionism the best. you know what, i love the background piece the best. however i cannot identify it for certain - van gogh?

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    1. Thank you Yun Yi! They are beautiful. :) My background piece is a Van Gogh too, you have a good eye! It’s "Farmhouse in a Wheatfield."

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    1. Hi Angie, how nice to know you adore Vincent too! My blog background is Van Gogh’s "Farmhouse in a Wheatfield," and I have several Van Gogh prints around my house. Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  19. I adore, too. Nice blog and paintings. Great!

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    1. Thank you for your nice comment and so glad you joined my blog! I appreciate that very much. Always love to meet other art admirers. :)

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  20. All painting are very nice and it gives feeling that it will speak out at very moment,really that creativity is amazing.thanks for sharing with us that pictures.

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    1. You’re very welcome and I enjoy creativity and sharing interesting art. Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  21. I must focused on the background of your blog too much that I missed two gorgeous paintings of Morisot! I knew her works when I was a student but I never really saw her paintings. These two are just too colorful, too summer, they deliver light and heat to my winter house! Thanks again for sharing, JerseyLil!

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    1. Thanks Yun Yi! I really like Berthe Morisot’s art too. I love the way she painted everyday scenes like hanging out the laundry with such color and energy. So glad you came back to this post and saw her paintings. :)

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