Eastern Suburbs Art Group

 These two paintings tell a story. The first is 1959 and looks like Cezanne. The boxy objects. The muted colours. A slight claustrophobia caused by proximity. The painter is standing beside the stream, he is near the trees, he is close to the arms of the forest. The second image (below) is 1971. No longer close. The air feels like it is moving, but it is still a landscape. Even though the trees have been reduced practically to smears and daubs of thick impast paint. The air is free and the vision is complete. This is the painter's mature style.

 Other paintings in this show from Toledo Ohio were more conventional Impressionist works including landscapes. Of course landscapes. Like this Pissarro from 1886 (below). The Jules Breton work below is more a mannerist work, but like a lot  of Impressionist works it uses as subject someone not traditionally associated with the Salon, in this case a poor farm worker. Notice the bare feet. It is touching and the pathos is extravagant. Below an amazing Berthe Morrisot work showing two children sitting on grass. The work below a Paul Signac painting of Venice from 1905. Below a Pierre Bonnard painting or a coastline. The yellow rock and pink sky are incredible inventions.

This was the second modern masters show I saw last month. There are more modern masters works in Toledo Ohio than in all of Australia. It was great to see so many here. In addition to many of the usual representatives however there were some North American proactitioners liks Maurice Prendergast (see below). Another (below) this one by Robert Henri. The painting below by William Merritt Chase. Yes there were the usual practititioners but the North Americans also worth seeing and appreciating. It is hard to characterise the difference, but perhaps a certain mannered approach aplies in their case. Less impressionist and more realist. A similar thing happened in Australia, the so called Australian Impressionists were really just 19th C relists after the fact, not using impressionist techniques much at all. And I wonder why it is that settler societies have trouble adopting avant garde style.