Impressionist Paintings, 1850-1900 The National Gallery DVD Collection Louise Govier

The National Gallery, London has three important paintings of bathers: Monet's "Bathers at La Grenouillere", Seurat's "Bathers at Asnieres", and Cezanne's "Bathers" (Les Grandes Baigneuses). Although made by French artists within a period of about thirty years, all three look very different; this film explains how this came about. Using Monet, Seurat and Cezanne as anchor points, it shows how nineteenth-century French artists exploited new subject matter, such as the bourgeoisie at leisure, new ways of composing paintings and depicting spatial form, and new ways of applying paint, to produce a variety of 'modern' works. It explores the development of French painting in the second half of the century, including the work of Ingres as context for the uproar that later developments caused. Stunning photography of the paintings is accompanied by location footage and on-screen interviews with acknowledged experts on the subject. The National Gallery's collection presents a unique opportunity to explore the development of Impressionist painting, and Louise Govier introduces this fascinating and experimental period through works by artists including Boudin, Cezanne, Corot, Courbet, Degas, Delaroche, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Ingres, Manet, Millet, Monet, Moreau, Pissarro, Puvis de Chavannes, Renoir, Rousseau, Sisley and Seurat. The National Gallery DVD Collection combines high-quality scripts from Gallery experts with reproductions incorporating the latest digital technology.

Louise Govier is Adult Learning Manager at the National Gallery, London