Women Impressionists and the Land

Women Impressionists and the Land is the first exhibition to focus on landscape and nature imagery in the work of the women Impressionists. Rather than concentrating on the domestic subject matter of these artists, which has been widely discussed, this Museum-organized show explores the less documented outdoor spaces that were painted by the key women in the group, particularly Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Marie Bracquemond, and Blanche Hoschedé-Monet.

The exhibition explores the way in which landscape and nature imagery contributed to the rise in status of women artists in France during the years 1860–1910. It examines a range of works by the women Impressionists, focusing especially on the work of Morisot, who trained with her sister, Edma, as a landscape painter and saw landscape and nature imagery as a central part of her practice. Also included are related works by officially recognized Salon artists, such as Rosa Bonheur.

The exhibition comprises around 70 works in different media and examines favored iconographical themes, such as the painting of marine and agricultural scenes, and parks and gardens. Central is imagery of a domesticated nature, such as Morisot’s paintings of the Bois de Boulogne, Bracquemond’s pictures at Sèvres, and Cassatt’s views at the Château de Beaufresne after 1894.

Women Impressionists and the Land is curated by Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art, with curatorial assistant, Abigail Yoder.