Impressionism in New York

This course will introduce students to the avant-garde movement of Impressionism by making extensive use of New York collections, particularly those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We will study Impressionist art and artists in relation to the aesthetic, social and political backdrop of late nineteenth-century France, with attention to the artistic climate in America and Great Britain. Central to the discussion will be the position of women artists, models and collectors during this transformative period. Topics will include: artistic institutions, training and practice; new attitudes toward urban and rural spaces and toward leisure and labor; gender, fashion and social identity; relationships among artists, dealers, critics and patrons; and exhibiting Impressionism in new contexts.