Elder Gallery
Presents

Impressionism, Then & Now

Impressionism is one of today’s most admired painting styles though it was not always so widely accepted. It began in Paris during the 1863 le Salon des Refusés but the term "Impressionism" was not coined until 1874.  An unfriendly art critic was provoked by Monet’s painting entitled ‘Impression: Sunrise(1873). He described a group of painters “Impressionist” since their work appeared unfinished and lacked the details of the laborious painting style of traditional artists.

The early Impressionists used economical brushstrokes, responding directly to the subject to capture the fleeting moment. They applied color in looser and more distinct brush strokes rather than blending into even shades and tones. The continued popularity of this painting style will be the focus of Elder Gallery’s exhibition Impressionism, Then & Now which will be displayed in Charlotte throughout the month of December.

Included in the exhibition will be paintings from the Leon A. Makielski Collection which were painted during the artist’s four-year stay in Paris from 1909 – 1913.  Makielski was part of the second wave of American artists to move to Paris to study with the Impressionists. His 100-year old paintings are a strict departure from his earlier works which were more tightly painted.

Paintings created by California painters Daniel Bayless and Thomas Van
Stein will be shown along with those by Santa Fe artist, Tom Perkinson, and London-based Impressionist, Michael Strang. Each artist has developed their own style of painting but the influence of those early pioneers in Paris has had a profound affect on these twenty-first century painters.

Beautiful paintings from Russian Impressionist Gennadi Bernadski and Aleksei Polyakov will represent the Russian interpretation of Impressionism.

An opening reception for Impressionism, Then & Now will take place on Friday, December 4, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and will run through December 31, 2009.