Seattle Art Museum: Intimate Impressionism

I visited the Seattle Art Museum for the first time last week to see the Intimate Impressionism exhibit on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.  I am sharing this photo represent the collection because Oysters, 1862, Edouard Manet is featured on the home page of the art gallery. I have no intention of reproducing the collection without permission, so I'll show you this glimpse above to encourage you to seek out these glorious Impressionist artists on your own.

The limited engagement (October 1, 2015 - January 10, 2016) at the Seattle Art Museum posed a challenge for many art lovers. I know that I tried to make plans with a group of women to see the exhibit together, but the timing was difficult over the busy weeks leading up to the holidays. I made it downtown with Dan and my mom the last Friday night it was open and I am so glad we did.

The exhibit included 68 intimately scaled paintings displayed across many large rooms to accommodate the crowds. There were images that were familiar in style, like Claude Monet's ARGENTEUIL, CA. 1872, that had soft blue skies and white sailboats on a summer day. See some examples of Monet's Argenteuil paintings here. 

I didn't realize that the subject matter of this collection would be so broad. When I think of Impressionist, I always think of landscapes. However, this exhibit covered people, pets, food and Degas' ballerinas. I enjoyed the mix and was interested to see how many times I confused Monet, Manet and Pissaro.

I'm sorry to say that the exhibit has closed and that this beautiful collection is on its way back to our nation's capital. It should be on display again as soon as the renovations in the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art are complete.