CHATTANOOGA, TN.- Opening to the public on June 27 – September 20, 2015 at the Hunter Museum of American Art, Monet and American Impressionism will feature several Monet paintings and highlight twenty-five American artists who launched a new way of painting in response to the influence of French Impressionism. The exhibition, a collaboration between the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, the Telfair Museums in Savannah and the Hunter Museum, will present roughly fifty paintings and twenty prints dated between 1880-1920 by many of the leading figures in American Impressionism, such as Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, Theodore Robinson, John Henry Twachtman, and J. Alden Weir. These artists adapted the innovations of French Impressionism and ultimately paved the way to a uniquely American style of painting in the 19th century.

Monet explored the effects of light on color and form, and the Impressionists favored images of modern life painted in a revolutionary style that emphasized loose brushstrokes of unblended color. Enthralled by changing light effects, they painted informal subjects en plein air, or outdoors.

The exhibition offers an exciting array of American Impressionist art as practiced by many of its leading figures such as Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, Theodore Robinson and John Henry Twachtman. In the late nineteenth century, these artists adapted the innovations of French Impressionism, ultimately paving the way to establishing it as one of the most enduring styles in American art. Some of these artists had direct knowledge of Monet’s techniques through extended stays in Giverny where Monet had settled in 1883. Others were exposed to his style through exhibitions of his art in New York, Boston and abroad, or through the filter of important teachers such as Metcalf and Robinson.

Spanning the years between 1887 and 1920, the paintings, pastels, and prints featured in the exhibition explore several topics that interested the Impressionists. Visitors will be able to contemplate the allure of Giverny, the pleasures of country retreats, the vibrance of urbanism and the comforts of home. Through these themes, the exhibition delves into the many ways American artists responded to Monet, as well as their shared taste for new approaches and attitudes to painting.

To take full advantage of this unique exhibition, the Hunter Museum will offer a variety of programs and events in celebration of the Monet and American Impressionism exhibition, including special members-only receptions, renowned guest speakers and public programming.