In a New Light: Birth of American Impressionism

“The man who will go down to posterity is the man who paints his own time and the scenes of everyday life around him” – Childe Hassam

The late 19th century saw a flood of American artists travelling to Paris to absorb the new radical approaches of Monet, Degas, and Renoir – many of these young American painters even trained alongside Monet at Giverny. When they returned to their U.S. studios, these expats not only brought back revolutionary ideas of capturing modern life with fleeting light and vibrant color, but they also filtered these new techniques and subject matter through their own cultural lens with a growing national pride in their fast-growing country.

By engaging with the works of Childe Hassam, William Merritt Chase, Edmund Tarbell, Lila Cabot Perry and many other lesser known, but worthy American artists, we can examine how these painters translated French Impressionism into a distinctly American vernacular. This seminar will explore how these men and women captured on canvas the nation’s picturesque landscapes, bustling industrial centers and cities and the new modern life embraced by its citizens.

“Don’t let this vibrant chapter of American art be overlooked by its French cousin. Come celebrate American Expressionism with us!”

Maria Mack D’Amario is an art historian specializing in European decorative arts and the American Gilded Age. A graduate of Denison University, Maria holds a post-graduate diploma in the history of art from the University of Oxford. She also holds an M.A. in the Venetian Renaissance from the University of Warwick in Coventry, U.K. Maria has worked with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Royal Collection Trust and Lots Road Galleries. She has served as trustee and steering committee member of the U.K. Friends of the National Museum of Women in The Arts in Washington, D.C. Currently, Maria works for the Preservation Society of Newport County.