Corot to Monet

Our first week here, we were able to go to the National Gallery. The gallery has so much to offer and I really did learn a lot about different techniques and various things that artists have to offer. “Open air painting” comes from the term “plein air,” which refers to the practice of painting outdoors in a way that depicts optimal and naturalistic atmosphere and light. This tactic was first seen around the late 1700s and was widespread through the 1800s, into the era of Impressionism. In the Corot to Monet exhibit, there was a continuous change as the paintings progressed. With the discovery and acceptance of open air painting and not having the necessity of a studio and formal training, the subject matter of paintings began to change world-wide. With paintings illustrating motifs of water, billowy clouds, trees, open fields, water and earth tones with few or no depictions of people or urban life. Pure landscapes were viewed as the most beautiful places of sanctuary.

As time went on, the main focus of open air progressed to landscapes that slowly began to involve depictions of people as well as some urban scenes. With these changes taking place, the definition of beauty did not just lie in portraying sheer countryside, but in finding and capturing beauty in many other places and different kinds of landscapes. Some artists, including Monet began finding the beauty in the simple surroundings in the places where they spent the most time. Hometowns and everyday life in certain countries and varying landscapes were now      being illustrated through the open air expressions of artists around the world.