The people of nineteenth-century Paris witnessed an era of great social and political change. Due to scientific and technological innovations brought on by the industrial revolution, traditional views of the world and man’s place in it were shaken. As urbanization increased, more people moved from the countryside to seek employment and modern living spaces in the city, where a new leisure class formed and rose to prominence. In the midst of these changes was a group of artists who called themselves the Independents, now known as the Impressionists, whose goal was to record the face of a changing world in a style that overturned the long-established artistic tradition dictated by the French art academy. Their innovations in the use of color and drawing set in motion a progression of artistic development that ultimately changed the face of art forever.

Color, Light, and Modern Life will focus on works by artists including Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas in order to illustrate how each artist made the Impressionist style his own. Discussion will also consider what effect social and political events of the day had on their artistic production.

This program is appropriate for groups of middle- to high school students or an audience of adult and community members.