Note: Passport to Paris was on view October 27, 2013-February 9, 2014. Degas: A Passion for Perfection opens at the Denver Art Museum February 11, 2018.
Edgar Degas was born in Paris in 1834 to a wealthy banking family. After spending three years in Italy copying Italian master paintings, he returned to Paris, focusing on a variety of contemporary subjects—including dancers, race horses, seascapes, and brothel scenes. Although he travelled extensively in the early 1870s, Degas spent the majority of the rest of his career in Paris.
Camille Pissarro was born in St. Thomas (then part of the Danish West Indies) and lived there most of his young adult life, except when he attended school in Paris from 1842 to 1847. He moved to France in 1855, first establishing himself in Paris and then living in various towns in the countryside outside the city. He did not travel as extensively as other impressionists, choosing to focus on painting the landscapes around the villages he lived in.
Vincent van Gogh was born in the Netherlands in 1853 and lived there during his formational years as an artist. He briefly attended the Academie des Beaux Arts in Brussels and moved around the Netherlands, immersing himself in the lives of the peasants that he painted. In 1886, he moved to Paris, where he met Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro through his brother Theo, who ran a successful art dealership. He moved to southern France in 1888, where the bright sun and rich landscapes further inspired his vibrant use of color.
Claude Monet moved to Paris in 1862 and worked in and around the city for the beginning of his career, briefly moving to his family home in Normandy in 1867 due to poverty. In 1870 he moved to London to escape the Franco-Prussian War. He moved to Giverny in 1883 where he spent the rest of his life creating and painting his elaborate flower garden. Facing poverty most of his life, Monet traveled extensively in order to find new subjects to paint and widen the range of appeal for his prospective buyers.
Key piece to look for: Waterlilies, 1904
The DAM is publishing a blog series that will highlight some of the artists whose work is on view in Passport to Paris. We will share a little about the artist’s biography and inspiration, and details about a key artwork in the exhibition. Check back to learn more about Paul Cézanne, Édouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, and other superstars of French art whose work is on view in Passport to Paris.
Paul Cézanne worked primarily in Aix-en-Provence, in the South of France. He became a painter only after much disagreement with his father, who encouraged him to study law and banking. Although he regularly spent short periods in Paris, he spent most of the rest of his life in Aix and nearby L’Estaque, where he painted scenes from the surrounding countryside.
Key piece to look for: House in the Country, 1877-79.
Conocí a Rita Flores de Wallace a pricipios de la década de los años 1990 en el Museo de las Américas, durante una visita, guiada por ella, de una exhibición relacionada a la celebración del Dia de los Muertos. Me impresionó mucho su conocimiento de esta tan importante tradición Mexicana, pero también su forma tan cálida y accessible con la que compartió la exhibición con nuestro grupo. Casi inmediatamente después de que concluyó su tour, la invite a que formara parte del –en ese entonces- pequeño grupo de guías de los programas en español del Denver Art Museum.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work with an internationally acclaimed artist? Are you an actor, model, make-up artist, or otherwise highly motivated performer? Artist Kent Monkman is looking for skilled individuals to participate in his upcoming performance Casualties of Modernity premiering at the Denver Art Museum October 18, 2013. See the position descriptions below.
Romantic Sculpture:
Update: Click here (PDF) for Untitled #60 (Signature) program. RSVP on Facebook.
Untitled #58 (Getup) at the Denver Art Museum on June 28 included a performance from the vivid imagination of artist Nick Cave, whose work is currently on view in the exhibition Nick Cave: Sojourn. A number of choreographers and local dancers collaborated with Cave to bring his works to life through dance. The performance also included a demonstration by the artist of his process for creating his signature Soundsuits.