The Paris of the Impressionists 1860-1900

Impressionism is one of the most recognizable and cherished of all painting styles.

We celebrate iconic paintings such as Claude Monet’s Impression, soleil levant (1872) and Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876), but where did their inspiration come from?

In what ways might the Impressionist movement have been connected to the dramatic social changes and political upheavals of the time? How was it related to the other ‘schools’ of the 19th Century?

Join Professor Peter McPhee to situate Impressionism in the Parisian context, and ask questions about the history of artistic ‘taste’.

Presented by Emeritus Professor Peter McPhee

Peter McPhee is an Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Melbourne. He has published widely on the history of modern France, notably Liberty or Death: the French Revolution (2016) and An Environmental History of France (2024). He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences and was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2012. He is the Chair of the History Council of Victoria and Patron of the History Teachers Association of Victoria.

With NGV Senior Curator, International Exhibitions, Dr Miranda Wallace

Dr Miranda Wallace is Senior Curator of International Exhibitions at the NGV. She is responsible for research and curatorial coordination of major loan exhibitions in NGV’s International program, working in partnership with specialist curators and museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Musée d’Orsay and the Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Schedule

From 5.45pm	Arrive via main waterwall entrance.
6.00pm - 7.00pm	Masterclass presentation (40-minute masterclass \| 20-minute curator conversation).
7.00pm - 7.45pm	Light refreshments served in the Garden Restaurant.
7.45pm - 8.30pm	Exhibition viewing time.

This Masterclass is part of a series presented by the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative. The University of Melbourne’s Learning Partnership with the NGV provides an opportunity to spend an evening (or three!) in the gallery hosted by Dr Olivia Meehan, art historian and object-based learning specialist from the Faculty of Arts.

Follow this link to view the series and register for other Masterclass sessions:
https://collections.humanitix.com/french-impressionism-a-melbourne-masterclass-series

Image credit:
Claude Monet
Grainstack (snow effect), 1891.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Gift of Miss Aimée and
Miss Rosamond Lamb in memory
of Mr. and Mrs. Horatio Appleton Lamb.
Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
All Rights Reserved.