By Dmitri Wright
A Painting is Worth a Thousand Words…
Introduced in France in the middle of the 19th century Impressionist art is marvelous to look at. It is arguably the most famous and consequential artistic movement of the last two centuries. Witness its prominent place in many of the world’s leading museums. Impressionism has had an outsized influence on other styles of art and our culture.
Think Claude Monet’s ethereal water lilies ubiquitous on tote bags, umbrellas and t-shirts and his home in Giverny which is a major tourist destination; Edgar Degas’s signature bathers and his dancing ballerinas that grace many walls in poster form; Auguste Renoir’s delightful compositions of pretty women and sensuous nudes; Marie Cassatt’s charming scenes of mothers and children engaged in everyday family life, and Vincent Van Gogh’s dramatic sunflower series created during his Impressionist period and considered among the most famous art works in history.
Unlike previous more classical forms of painting that were often based on hierarchical models of academic painting that had been taught in European academies, Impressionism was inspired more by the heart and the moment – spontaneous impressions of subjects. The Impressionists broke from established norms which enabled them to be freer to experiment with light and color. They used short, bold and typically colorful brush strokes. Scenes did not have to be perfect, but rather subjective and imaginative.
Impressionism is the bridge between classical and modern art forms. It is the mortar that holds those worlds together. And it offers valuable educational and developmental opportunities.
It is widely accepted that knowledge of classical music helps children in their mastery of STEM courses. Art holds several equally important benefits which is why it is important for children to be introduced to it, whether in school, camp or through community youth programs. Fortunately, there are many opportunities in Greenwich and the surrounding area for children to experience it.
Experimenting with the Impressionist art style is a wonderful way for children to be introduced to art. Their imagination will be piqued with the freedom to capture a moment in time, and to view life and nature their own way, infused with heart, color and joy.
In my experience, there is an artist in every child with a voice desiring to speak visually and with abandon. Teaching art to children using the timeless universal concepts used by the Impressionists has given me immense joy and the satisfaction of seeing children free to express their own visual narratives by building upon their natural abilities.
In my summer camp classes at Greenwich Historical Society’s Art & History Camp, children learn about the principles of Impressionism through the styles favored by artists who were members of the Cos Cob Art Colony, the first Impressionist art colony in Connecticut.
Artists include Elmer Livingston MacRae who lived at Holley House, now Bush-Holley House, the legendary Childe Hassam, and J. Alden Weir who spent summers teaching at Holley House and John Henry Twachtman, who lived nearby on Round Hill Road. Each of these artists is represented in the Historical Society’s collections.
Working together and using their imaginations, the children create landscapes, compose still lives and re-create a 12-foot-tall masterpiece by Elmer Livingston MacRae. They also practice portraiture and craft a series of self-portraits in a variety of different artistic styles and mediums.
These experiences help children to develop valuable cognitive and sensory skills that are useful at every stage in life. Among the most important are visualization, creativity, imagination, and curiosity for constructing scenes that speak to their emotions and heart. Hand-eye coordination and problem-solving capabilities are strengthened as they experiment with colors, shapes and materials in developing their own canvases. All of which helps to build their confidence and self-esteem.
The awe and wonder are a terrific balm for their days that are overly dependent on devices. Fortunately, technology such as AI will never replace the experiences they will have been exposed to with art ‘in the moment’ and with heart.
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Greenwich resident Dmitri Wright is the Master Artist/Instructor for Weir Farm National Historical Park, the only park dedicated to American Impressionism. In the tradition of John Henry Twachtman, founder of the Cos Cob Art Colony, Wright is the first artist-in-residence instructing and lecturing at the Greenwich Historical Society, the birthplace of American Impressionism, where he served on the board of trustees of the museum and teaches at Art & History Camp. He also instructs at Silvermine Art School. Wright won the national scholarship at Cooper Union and the Max Beckman International Scholar Program at Brooklyn Museum Art School and was valedictorian at the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Arts, majoring in Fine Art.
