Exhibition: Light & Soul - Impressions Of The French Landscape (Exhibition Tour)

Hello and welcome to Light and Soul, Early Impressions of the French Landscape at the Cooper Gallery in Barnsley. This exhibition explores the absorbing stories and pioneering visions of landscape artists in 19th century France. The painters of Light and Soul drew inspiration from ancient forests and valleys, contemporary life in the landscape and the The exhibition features 17 artists who experimented with subject matter, style and technique and whose influence shaped the work of generations to follow. The first section of the exhibition explores the traditional rules of landscape and the early developments of 19th century France through the works of Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes and Georges Michel. The two paintings by Valenciennes from the Beaux Museum are beautiful examples of the classical academic style of the time in their composition, smooth finish and fine detail. They also show the artist's preferred focus on the effects of light and weather on the landscape. Valenciennes was a professor at the School of Fine Arts in Paris and subscribed to the traditional philosophy that antiquity and the renaissance were the pinnacle of artistic talent and skill. He also held strong beliefs in the importance of creating sketches and oil studies outdoors to truly capture the atmosphere, colours and topography of the location. Through his teaching role and his writing, Valenciennes' ideas were of great influence on his students and fellow artists. Georges Michel held the same belief as Valenciennes in the importance of sketching outdoors but he rejected traditional landscape themes and locations and the recommended finished paintings. Storm over Montmartre, a large oil painting from Leeds museums and galleries, shows his affinity with the landscape surrounding Paris and his realistic style. Of paramount importance to many artists in seizing a fleeting effect of nature was the outdoor sketch in pencil, chalk, watercolour or oil. As the century progressed artists were starting to venture further across France to absorb and study nature in greater depth rather than heading to Italy. One artist who continually immersed himself in nature was Jean-Baptiste Camus Corot. His early neoclassical training and visits to Italy evolved over the decades into the innovative experiments and a lightness of touch which make his art so distinctive. Drawings by Corot in the exhibition from the Cooper Gallery collection range from a pencil sketch of Rome from 1827 to a tree study from around 1870 which demonstrates the shift in his technique towards creating effects and impressions. Theodore Rousseau and Jules Dupre were two artists and friends who explored areas of France together taking sketching trips and even co-creating individual works. Rousseau had a passionate reverence for nature describing the landscapes of France through delicate and detailed observation and raw expressive colour and texture. The latter is demonstrated by the two small oil studies from the National Gallery London, the Valley of Saint Vincent and a rocky landscape. Dupre trained initially as a decorator of porcelain using skills developed in his youth in the enhanced detail and colour of his drawings and paintings. Landscape with Trees from the Cooper Gallery collection is a beautiful large drawing with great attention paid to perspective and the aspects of the trees. Sunset from Sheffield Museums is an astonishingly colourful small study which captures wonderfully the mood of the view. To the south east of Paris lies the ancient forest of Fontainebleau, a vast area of dense woodland, rocky outcrops and a sandy plain. From the 1820s a first wave of landscape artists including Corot ventured into the forest to discover new aspects of nature to sketch. More artists followed including Theodore Rousseau, Narcisse Vergil Diaz de la Peña and Jean-François Millet, some of the painters who became known as the Barbizon School. Named after the village of Barbizon on the northern edge of the forest where they gathered and stayed, these artists were known for their realistic depictions of the landscape and rural life. The most prolific painter of Fontainebleau was Diaz. Spending long periods of time there every year he created numerous scenes of his favourite sites including one of the oldest parts of the forest admired for its ancient oak trees. A number of artists began to concentrate on rural life in the landscape and the agricultural farmers, labourers and their animals. Rosa Bonheur was to become the greatest animal painter of her time. This study of sheep in a landscape from Sheffield Museums shows the extensive time Bonheur took over each animal in the differences of colour, texture and light and shade. Jean-François Millet differed in the greater focus he placed on people making them the centre of his artworks. Exploring the effects of natural light was an important part of the development of landscape painting in France. The use of light and shade had been part of artistic practice for centuries but the study of changing light in the day and across the seasons and more importantly capturing the essence of this in visual art was key to the innovation and progress we see in this exhibition. Corot's tremendous skill must be mentioned here alongside that of his contemporary and friend Charles-François Daubigny. In Wagon on the Plains of Artois from the National Gallery London we see the ethereal effects Corot created with the light tones he used more in the later stages of his career. Alongside this work by Corot are Daubigny's Solitude from Leeds Museums and Galleries and Waterfall from York Art Gallery showing contrasting depictions of landscapes, light and colour. From here we move to the Normandy coast in northern France. Two works by Eugène Isabey contrast a dark stormy scene with a tranquil beach. Although not linked directly with the Impressionists, Isabey was a great innovator in his swift manner of painting and undefined brushstrokes. He also had great influence over many young artists through his well-attended studio in Paris. His students included Eugène Boudin and Johann Barthold who were themselves supporters of the young Impressionists and both mentored the young Claude Monet. Josephine Boz, a French actress, socialite, collector and artist, co-founded and built the Boz Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham with her husband John Boz. They amassed a collection of 15,000 artworks and objects including many French landscapes to exhibit in their museum which opened in 1892. Josephine herself trained as an artist and exhibited at the Paris Salon. The two paintings here show her skill in using strong colours and brushstrokes, her confidence in composition and her practice of working outdoors. Study of Poplars is a gorgeously bold study with blocks of colour possibly applied with a palette knife which reflects innovative artistic practices of the time. We close the exhibition with a work by a lesser-known artist collected by Boz, Léon-Victor Dupré. Landscape with Trees encapsulates our themes with its realistic subject, experimental colour tones and exploration of light. Thank you for watching.