ARTISTS
Vincent van Gogh and The Great Impressionists of the Grand Boulevard
鈥淚n Antwerp I did not even know what the Impressionists were, now I have seen them and though not being one of the club yet I have much admired certain Impressionist pictures 鈥� Degas, nude figure 鈥� Monet, landscape.鈥� 鈥� Vincent Van Gogh
It was a malnourished, depressed, and lonely Vincent van Gogh who arrived in Paris on, or about February 28, 1886. He had left Antwerp with unpaid bills, his teeth in such bad shape ten needed extraction, and a distraught brother, Theo, who had repeatedly discouraged him about coming. So, as he quickly dashed a note to Theo, he was apprehensive yet just as headstrong as ever, intent upon foisting the inevitability of the situation on his more passive sibling. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be cross with me that I鈥檝e come all of a sudden. I鈥檝e thought about it so much and I think we鈥檒l save time this way. Will be at the Louvre from midday, or earlier if you like. A reply, please, to let me know when you could come to the Salle Carr茅e鈥e鈥檒l sort things out, you鈥檒l see鈥︹��
It seems unfathomable that when Vincent had yet to experience the world as an impressionist painter might interpret it. After all, a dozen years had passed since the First Impressionist Exhibition of 1874. Impression, soleil levant, Monet鈥檚 small sketch set the artworld ablaze that year and it was unveiled during Vincent鈥檚 tenure as an employee of Galerie Goupil & Cie at the Paris office at 2 Place de l鈥橭p茅ra. Here in 1886, it seems likely Vincent鈥檚 first exposure to Impressionism occurred at the Goupil gallery (now named Boussod, Valadon & Cie, successeur de Goupil & Cie) where Theo had served as director since 1878. Monet, Degas, and perhaps Pissarro and Sisley pictures were swapped out and placed on an easel so that Vincent鈥檚 inquisitive eyes could ponder the surfaces values. It would be his first opportunity to reconcile the brighter palette Theo had repeatedly encouraged him to adopt with his devotion to Rembrandt, Millet, Courbet and color theory as taught by Charles Blanc. That year, there were other opportunities of course: The Eighth Impressionist Exhibition that opened 15 May. Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Caillebotte were absentee painters, but Degas, Pissarro, Cassatt, Guillaumin, and two new arrivals 鈥擲eurat and Signac 鈥� reanimated the conversation about science, perception, and art, Ve exposition internationale de peinture at Galerie Georges Petit opening 15 June that attracted the likes of Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, Renoir, Rodin, and Whistler, and the second Exposition de la Soci茅t茅 des Artistes Independents showing a similar roster of artists during August and September.
Vincent referred to these artists as 鈥淭he Great Impressionists of the Boulevard.鈥� They were, in a sense what he aspired to become; established artists whose reputations were burnished by galleries Durand-Ruel, Georges Petit and now, Boussod, Valadon & Cie under Theo鈥檚 guidance. Of course, Vincent was realistic., his opportunity rested with the kindred spirits of the younger generation; the ones he called 鈥淭he Artists of Petit Boulevard鈥�, denizens of the Montmartre neighborhoods around boulevard de Cichy and boulevard de Rochechouart where the younger men had their studios and exhibited in caf茅s. Besides, he felt comfortable here in this environment. He was an habitue of paint grinder Julien Tanguy鈥檚 art supply shop and gallery where artists gathered to exchange ideas and where he could gain feedback on his most recent efforts. That group included the established painter Guillaumin and Seurat, Signac and Gauguin as well as fellow Corman atelier classmates, Emile Bernard, Toulouse-Lautrec and Louis Anquetin. In fact, there is no evidence Vincent spent a meaningful moment with any of the impressionists 鈥� except for one, Camille Pissarro, the man to whom he always extended his gratitude for the advice and encouragement he received.
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鈥淚n Antwerp I did not even know what the Impressionists were, now I have seen them and though not being one of the club yet I have much admired certain Impressionist pictures 鈥� Degas, nude figure 鈥� Monet, landscape.鈥� 鈥� Vincent Van Gogh
It was a malnourished, depressed, and lonely Vincent van Gogh who arrived in Paris on, or about February 28, 1886. He had left Antwerp with unpaid bills, his teeth in such bad shape ten needed extraction, and a distraught brother, Theo, who had repeatedly discouraged him about coming. So, as he quickly dashed a note to Theo, he was apprehensive yet just as headstrong as ever, intent upon foisting the inevitability of the situation on his more passive sibling. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be cross with me that I鈥檝e come all of a sudden. I鈥檝e thought about it so much and I think we鈥檒l save time this way. Will be at the Louvre from midday, or earlier if you like. A reply, please, to let me know when you could come to the Salle Carr茅e鈥e鈥檒l sort things out, you鈥檒l see鈥︹��
It seems unfathomable that when Vincent had yet to experience the world as an impressionist painter might interpret it. After all, a dozen years had passed since the First Impressionist Exhibition of 1874. Impression, soleil levant, Monet鈥檚 small sketch set the artworld ablaze that year and it was unveiled during Vincent鈥檚 tenure as an employee of Galerie Goupil & Cie at the Paris office at 2 Place de l鈥橭p茅ra. Here in 1886, it seems likely Vincent鈥檚 first exposure to Impressionism occurred at the Goupil gallery (now named Boussod, Valadon & Cie, successeur de Goupil & Cie) where Theo had served as director since 1878. Monet, Degas, and perhaps Pissarro and Sisley pictures were swapped out and placed on an easel so that Vincent鈥檚 inquisitive eyes could ponder the surfaces values. It would be his first opportunity to reconcile the brighter palette Theo had repeatedly encouraged him to adopt with his devotion to Rembrandt, Millet, Courbet and color theory as taught by Charles Blanc. That year, there were other opportunities of course: The Eighth Impressionist Exhibition that opened 15 May. Monet, Renoir, Sisley and Caillebotte were absentee painters, but Degas, Pissarro, Cassatt, Guillaumin, and two new arrivals 鈥擲eurat and Signac 鈥� reanimated the conversation about science, perception, and art, Ve exposition internationale de peinture at Galerie Georges Petit opening 15 June that attracted the likes of Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, Renoir, Rodin, and Whistler, and the second Exposition de la Soci茅t茅 des Artistes Independents showing a similar roster of artists during August and September.
Vincent referred to these artists as 鈥淭he Great Impressionists of the Boulevard.鈥� They were, in a sense what he aspired to become; established artists whose reputations were burnished by galleries Durand-Ruel, Georges Petit and now, Boussod, Valadon & Cie under Theo鈥檚 guidance. Of course, Vincent was realistic., his opportunity rested with the kindred spirits of the younger generation; the ones he called 鈥淭he Artists of Petit Boulevard鈥�, denizens of the Montmartre neighborhoods around boulevard de Cichy and boulevard de Rochechouart where the younger men had their studios and exhibited in caf茅s. Besides, he felt comfortable here in this environment. He was an habitue of paint grinder Julien Tanguy鈥檚 art supply shop and gallery where artists gathered to exchange ideas and where he could gain feedback on his most recent efforts. That group included the established painter Guillaumin and Seurat, Signac and Gauguin as well as fellow Corman atelier classmates, Emile Bernard, Toulouse-Lautrec and Louis Anquetin. In fact, there is no evidence Vincent spent a meaningful moment with any of the impressionists 鈥� except for one, Camille Pissarro, the man to whom he always extended his gratitude for the advice and encouragement he received.
Artists on show
