FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM 2
DR MICHAEL ADCOCK
23 APRIL 2022
Those who tuned into U3A Port Phillip seminar on 23 April were rewarded by another brilliant presentation by Dr Michael Adcock. Michael’s erudition and his enthusiasm for the work of the French impressionists was captivating.
Building on his 2021 seminar on Impressionism and the Post Impressionists (the 2021 National Gallery of Victoria Exhibition) in this seminar, Michael brought fresh insights into the development of the movement and the role of the Parisian Salon in determining success. He explored the artists’ lives, their relationships with fellow artists and the influence on their work. All were illustrated by slides of the artists’ paintings.
Michael introduced this seminar by examining the works of a range of female artists. Their portraits were often of people they knew and were delicate and evocative. They succeeded often against the odds in a society where women were not expected to be professional artists
We were treated to an overview of some of their male contemporaries, all worthy although their art not necessarily displaying in Michael’s words “the symphonic grandeur and freedom of a Monet or Pissarro”.
Michael Adcock’s joy and love of this period of French art is infectious. Mark Denniston, an art enthusiast, facilitated the seminar with aplomb.
A recording of the seminar is available HERE.
Pam Caven