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Visiting Impressionism at its Roots While visiting Normandy, you just may feel as if you are walking
through a painting. The vibrant colors, sweeping landscapes, and
charming villages are so picturesque, you may start to wonder if,
in fact, they are real. You can rest assured that everything in
this region is real and authentic. Perhaps that is the reason why
so many painters came to Normandy to stir up their creative juices.
Come and see for yourself how art and life harmoniously coexist
in this gorgeous region.
In the 19th century, Impressionism was born in Le Havre, Normandy
close to the lovely fishing town of Honfleur. This style of art
was seen as a revolution due to the fact that it focused on everyday
situations and settings. No longer did artists depict events of
days gone by or imaginary settings. They turned to life for inspiration
- real people, real landscapes, real towns, real events. Artists
flocked to Normandy, immediately drawn to its surpassing beauty
and incredible realness. Eugene Boudin was one of the forefathers
of the Impressionist movement and acted as a mentor to many up and
coming artists such as the well known Claude Monet. Boudin's paintings
of Normandy's sea and sky were in the First Impressionist Exhibition
of 1874 and piqued an interest in many young artists to utilize
his technique and artistic philosophy.
Today, Normandy is a haven for art lovers. Start on the coast in
Honfleur, the birthplace of impressionism, an attractive fishing
town with characteristic narrow timbered houses. In addition, head
to the Alabaster coast to the towns of Dieppe, Fécamp, Yport,
Etretat at Le Havre, all of which have been immortalized by painters
such as Boudin, Monet, Pissaro, Sickert, Morisot and Noel.
 Follow
the Seine inland for the Normandy countryside, passing popular artist
towns such as Caudebec-en Caux and La Bouille. Sprawling green fields,
hilly pastures, quaint villages and typical Norman gardens are just
some of the beautiful things that have inspired artists in the past
and will take your breath away. In Rouen, the capital of Normandy,
the famous gothic cathedral which Claude Monet captured perfectly
in his series of paintings from 1892-1894, basks in its own beauty
in the center of town.
But that's not it. Giverny, the small town just an hour out of Paris,
is possibly the most famous impressionist town. Here, you can find
Claude Monet's House and Garden which is a masterpiece in its own.
He moved to Giverny in 1883 where he turned to his garden and surrounding
landscapes for inspiration. His garden is still maintained and you
can see the colorful and diverse plants and flowers that seem to
have been plucked from one of his canvases. His famous water lilies
dance on the pond of his water garden, while the weeping willows
seem to scrape the surface of the water. The Japanese Bridge (yes,
the one from the painting) stands proud in all its glory, as visitors
gaze at it so endearingly and snap their cameras uncontrollably.
Also in Giverny is the American Musuem of Art which pays tribute
to American impressionist artists who came to Normandy to follow
in the footsteps of French Impressionists.
Other impressionist paintings can be seen in museums scattered throughout
the region.
The Fine Arts Museum in Rouen houses a large collection of paintings
and sculptures from the 16th through the 20th century. Works from
Monet, Sisley and Pissaro can be found here. In Le Havre, the André
Malraux Musuem, which overlooks the sea in an incredible building
has a fabulous collection of impressionist works.
Discovering or reassuring an appreciation for Impressionism is a
simple task in Normandy. You can picture the brush strokes of different
blues as you look at the coast. You can picture setting up an easel
along the green fields spotted with trees. You picture yourself
painting a person who is unaware you are watching them. You can
picture it all. And you ask yourself…does life imitate art
or does art imitate life? For more information on Normandy and Impressionism:
www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/index.html.
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