The Lens of Impressionism

This exhibition advances a new argument for the origins of what was called “the new painting,” namely that a unique convergence of forcesâ€"social, artistic, technological, and commercialâ€"along the Normandy coast of France dramatically transformed the course of photography and painting (as well as of the region itself). Within this framework, the invention of the camera and the development of early fine art photography in that particular setting will be seen as the specific catalysts that brought about a new approach to painting.

The project will showcase paintings, photographs, and drawings by some of the most treasured artists in the Western canonâ€"Gustave Courbet, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, and Claude Monet among themâ€"as well as pioneering photographers such as Gustave Le Gray and Henri Le Secq. Inspired by the scenic Normandy coast of France, these worksâ€"including representations of beach scenes, seascapes, fishing villages, resorts, and the region's pastoral beautyâ€"will be brought together with archival materials related to early tourism and regional expressions of French nationalism from popular culture for an innovative examination of the impact of the then-new medium of photography on ideas of image making, the recording of passing time, the capacities of painting, and the rise of Impressionism itself.

Organized by UMMA, this exhibition is made possible in part by the Florence Gould Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Masco Corporation, and the University of Michigan's Office of the Provost and Office of the Vice President for Research. Additional support has been provided by the family of Raymond F. Cunningham in his memory. Following its showing in Ann Arbor, the exhibition will travel to the Dallas Museum of Art.