The Birth of French Impressionism

Our exploration of the inspirations and social contexts of French Impressionisms continues by traveling to Monmartre, a neighbourhood which was particularly vibrant in the 19^th century. We visit the Musée de Monmartre/Jardin de Renoir, once the homes of several painters, including Suzanne Valadon and Renoir, and which recounts the history of this part of Paris. We will walk through Renoir’s garden, faithfully restored to the artist’s own plans, where he drew inspiration for several works, including The Swing. We continue to the Gare Saint Lazare, the subject of a series of Monet’s works, the first which focused on a single theme. Here we will consider how the painter encapsulated the station from differing conditions and from differing points of view. After lunch, we spend the rest of the afternoon in the most famous and significant Impressionist museum in the world, the Musée d'Orsay atmospherically housed in the former Gare d’Orsay. Here we see a series of iconic Impressionist paintings, including Renoir’s Bal du moulin de la Galette and Sisley’s Inondation at Port-Marly.

This morning we set off for another part of Paris which was inspirational to Impressionists, namely the Bois de Boulogne. We start with the Musée Marmottan Monet, which is on the edge of the Bois and which houses the largest collection of Monet’s in the world, including the Impression: Soleil Levant which gave the movement its name. The exhibition space displaying the works donated by the painter’s son, Michel, was inspired by the Musée de l’Orangerie, with its emphasis on natural light. We proceed to the Bois de Boulogne the large public park which was popular with Parisians from all walks of life in the 19^th century and, as such, the subject of many paintings by impressionists such as Renoir, Cassat and Manet who captured ordinary people undertaking ordinary activities such as picnicking and promenading. After lunching in the Bois, we venture to the outskirts of Paris to Auvers-sur-Oise which is associated with many painters, including Van Gogh, as well as Daubigny, Corot and Pissaro. Here we visit the Musée Daubigny, the erstwhile house of Charles-Francois Daubigny, who, as an important precursor of Impressionism, allows us to trace the movement’s origins.

Today we continue to explore the origins of Impressionism by travelling to Barbizon, near the Forest of Fontainebleu, which was so inspirational to Impressionists. Here we consider the Barbizon school whose tonal qualities and loose brushworks prefigured Impressionism. We start with a visit to the Maison Atelier de JF Millet, the house and workshop of one of the foremost proponents of the Barbizon School, Jean-Francois Millet, who painted some of his masterpieces on display here, including l’Angelus and Les Glaneuses. We continue to the Musée des Peintres de Barbizon which houses an important collection of Barbizon paintings and which is divided into two sections, including the Ganne Inn where many painters, including Rousseau, Corot and Millet lodged and where we see the walls and furniture which they decorated during their sojourns. We also visit the atelier of Theodore Rousseau, which forms the second part of the museum. We lunch in Moret-sur-Loing-et-Orvanne, the charming town which was home of Alfred Sisley. We continue to the Eglise Notre Dame de de la Nativite, the 13^th century Gothic church painted by Sisley and end the day with a visit to the Musée en plein air Sisley which explores the work of the English born painter central to the movement.

We leave Paris behind and travel to Normandy, which was also central to the Impressionists. We start with Giverny to where Monet settled in the end of the 19^th century, attracting a colony of other painters, including the American painters Ritman and Metcalf. We start with a visit to the iconic Monet House and Gardens, which he designed as an inspiration for his paintings. Here we will see the Japanese bridge, as well as the pond with water lilies so familiar from the great man’s works. We continue to Rouen where we lunch and where we will overnight the rest of the tour. After lunch, we walk to the famous Rouen Cathedral, the Gothic masterpiece which was the subject of a famous series of Monet paintings housed in the Musée d’Orsay. We end the day at the Musée de Beaux-Arts de Rouen, which houses a stunning array of paintings, including a Caravaggio, as well as the famous Depeaux Collection of Impressionist painters. Here we will see Monet’s Rue Saint-Denis, as well as another version of Sisley’s Inondation at Port-Marly, and paintings from luminaries such as Degas, Pissaro and Renoir.

This morning takes us to Le Havre, where Monet spent part of his childhood and where his teacher, Boudin, developed his talent. The special quality of its light attracted hosts of Impressionists who painted its harbour and regatte. Here we visit the Musée Andre Malraux which houses one of the most significant collections of Impressionist paintings in France. Designed by the architect Lagneau, the museum offers a flexible space framed by an expanse of glass and steel which ingeniously captures the light from the sea front, in harmony with the tenets of Impressionism. Here we see the largest collection of Boudin paintings in the world, as well as important works from Pissaro, Manet and Degas and Monet’s Soleil d'hiver à Lavacourt. We proceed to Honfleur, the birthplace of Eugene Boudin, the early Impressionist painter who bequeathed the collection which forms the basis of the Musée Eugene Boudin, containing important paintings of Norman towns, Honfleur and the Seine Estuary, including works by Corbet and Monet. The museum also includes the Katia Granoff room which allows stunning views of the Seine Estuary, allowing the viewer to see the inspiration behind so many Impressionist paintings.

We set off in the morning for Paris in order to take our return flights to London.