قروب دردشة

Claude Monet, Les déchargeurs de charbon, 1875. Oil on canvas, 55 x 66 cm. Musée d'Orsay, Paris. © RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, NY. Photo: Patrice Schmidt

The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto is hosting a unique exhibition entitled Impressionism In The Age Of Industry.

This ambitious show features more than 120 paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, sculptures and film clips gathered from various collections around the world.

“This exhibition invites us to journey through this period of immense change, experiencing its thrills and challenges alongside the artists,” said the curator of the show, Dr. Caroline Shields. “As our cities and technologies rapidly change, it’s a journey that continues to resonate today. Seeing these works together for the first time provides an incredibly rich addition to the story of Impressionism as we know it.” 

For many people, Impressionism conjures up images of Claude Monet’s water lilies that he painted at Giverny. This exhibition shows that the Impressionists were enthralled by much more than that.

Paris was transformed back in the mid-19th century. Napoleon III appointed Georges-Eugène Haussmann to re-design the city. He did away with the narrow cobblestone streets and alleys and introduced grand boulevards, new bridges and railway stations.

The Gare du Nord was completed in 1865. France went from having just over 3,200 kilometres of rail tracks in 1851 to more than 16,400 by 1869. 

People flocked to Paris and so did modern industry — and the Impressionists. As this exhibition shows, they were excited by the industrial age.

The Impressionists were eager to get out doors and paint the city and countryside around them. Metal bridges, smokestacks, factories and labourers are all featured in their paintings, as are grand tree-lined boulevards and chic retail shops.

It must have been an exciting time to be in Paris when the Impressionists were interpreting what was happening around them. This exhibition gives the viewer a look into their world.

The exhibition continues at the AGO until May 5, 2019.