Modern painting outdoors

Aims

This course aims to: 

• introduce you to key 19th-century artists and works associated with painting outdoors  
• increase visual analysis skills and familiarity with artists’ individual styles
• equip you with terminology to compare and contrast examples of works discussed 
  on the course

Content

This introductory course will reveal the impact of plein air – outdoor painting - on the development of modern art made during the 19th century, from the early 1800s to the beginning of the 20th century. Our focus will be mostly on art made in France, but not exclusively. You will learn how avant-garde artists’ interaction with outdoor light, and their adaptations to it, led them to create idiosyncratic representations of both the natural world and modern life. We will see how plein air painting could be influential on work partly, or completely, indoors. During our five sessions in which we will investigate landscape paintings, portraiture and representations of everyday life, 
you will become familiar with a selection of key artists and works while also honing your visual analysis skills. 

We will trace the impact of plein air practice starting with a discussion of the significance of innovative Barbizon painters, who were working in the early 19th century in the Forest of Fontainebleau. We will then move to experimental paintings made on the beach at Trouville, 
as well as at sea, and then to Impressionist and Post-Impressionist innovations in the Parisian suburbs. Our final session will examine how outdoor painting led to further radical moves at the beginning of the 20th century, which extended beyond Impressionism, and resulted in works which bordered on abstraction and ultimately redefined modern painting. 

Presentation of the course 

This course will be taught in a classroom setting using PowerPoint presentations to show reproductions of artworks. All sessions will be designed to encourage class discussion in a supportive environment.

Course sessions

1. Barbizon: the forest as studio 
   How did Barbizon painters contribute to the development of modern landscape painting through their plein air practice? We will discuss how Théodore Rousseau and others, often worked in a studio, but their direct and intimate knowledge of the Forest led them to fresh approaches. 
2. Boudin, Monet and the Normandy coast 
   Eugène Boudin is particularly known for his paintings of the fashionable coastal resort, Trouville, on the Normandy coast. We will consider Boudin’s aspirations to depict the transitory effects of water and light and how his practice of outdoor painting inspired the young Claude Monet.
3. Making waves: Sargent 
   As well as looking at Sargent’s early marine scenes, we will examine this American painter’s celebrated painting, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, made in England to see how painting outdoors contributed to his development of progressive painting, which challenged established norms in both France and Britain. 
4. Van Gogh, Asnières and the modern city 
   In the spring of 1887, the Dutch painter, Van Gogh, was drawn to the northwestern Parisian suburb, Asnières. We will look at a small selection of works by him and other painters who were drawn to Asnières to discover why the Parisian suburbs attracted modern artists and enabled Van Gogh in his search for expression and personal painting style.
5. Monet and Giverny 
   We return to Monet’s work, specifically depictions of his extensive garden at Giverny, made in the later stages of his artistic career. We will see how working outdoors, in front of nature, led to radical, new compositions and techniques. We will close the course by considering some of the ideas that have emerged during the week.

Learning outcomes

You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course. 

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• to recognise the styles of art discussed in the course sessions and how they relate 
  to painting outdoors
• familiarity with how to compare and contrast examples of works discussed on the course
• to gain confidence in discussing artists, styles and ideas discussed in the course sessions

Required reading

There are no compulsory readings for this course. 

Typical week: Monday to Friday 

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.   

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to your learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events. 

Evaluation and Academic Credit  

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.  

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay. 

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit. 

Certificate of attendance 

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.