American Impressionism: Painting the New World

American Impressionism: Painting the New World

What happened when French Impressionism crossed the Atlantic?

In the late 19th century, a group of American artists embraced the radical brushwork and luminous colour of the French avant-garde but gave it a distinctly American flavour. Their canvases captured sunlit verandas, boating scenes, blooming gardens and quiet interiors.

This talk explores the work of the American impressionists, including William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam and Frank Benson. It considers their European training, their rejection of academic formality and their creation of a new visual language that balanced modern technique with national identity.

Was this a faithful continuation of Impressionism, or something entirely new?

Stella Grace Lyons is a freelance Art History lecturer, speaker and writer accredited with The Arts Society. She has lectured across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malaysia and will soon embark on a lecturing tour in Australasia.

Stella gained her BA in the History of Art with a 1st class in her dissertation from the University of Bristol (2007-2011), and her MA in History of Art from the University of Warwick.

She spent a year studying Renaissance art in Italy at the British Institute of Florence, and three months studying Venetian art in Venice. In addition, she attended drawing classes at the prestigious Charles H. Cecil studios in Florence, a private atelier that follows a curriculum based on the leading ateliers of nineteenth century Paris.

Stella runs her own Art History lectures and is a regular lecturer in the UK and Europe for The Arts Society, ACE Cultural Tours, Hebridean Island Cruises, Saga’s Art Appreciation Tours, and the National Trust, amongst others. Stella is also a part-time lecturer for the University of South Wales.

She has written about art for several publications and her article on Norwegian art was recently featured on the front cover of the Arts Society Magazine. In addition to her lecturing work, Stella works as an artist’s model for the internationally renowned figurative artist, Harry Holland.