Podcasts about french impressionists

Send us your thoughts! The French Impressionists revolutionized the art world by privileging the emotional and spiritual perception of the natural world over its literal reproduction. Hailing from France, harpist Isabelle Olivier has always felt an innate affinity for Impressionism and discovered its echoes within her other artistic passions, primarily the parallel worlds of jazz and classical music.On her vibrant new album, Impressions, Olivier conjures a bold musical landscape from the lush and stirring hues of her diverse influences. Inspired by tenor sax icon John Coltrane's revered composition “Impressions,” she explores the confluences of jazz and Impressionism with a painter's instinct for complementary colors, forms and textures. “I think about Impressionism as a combination between elegance, minimalism, spectral notions, feelings and vibes – things that you can feel but you cannot explain,” Olivier describes. “Looking at Impressionist art is like becoming part of nature, to the point where you forget that you're human. I love this feeling.”Out now in Europe and in the US/Canada on March 21, 2025 via Olivier's Rewound Echoes imprint, Impressions features a versatile and genre-fluid ensemble that includes the harpist's sons – pianist and accordionist Tom Olivier-Beuf and electronic musician Raphael Olivier – along with a string quartet (violinists Mathias Naon and Anne Le Pape, violist Cyprien Busolini and cellist Jean-Philippe Feiss) and drummer Baptiste Thiebault. In addition to Olivier's Impressionism-inspired compositions, the album is interspersed with a number of group improvisations that suggest or were suggested by impressionistic ideas – from the misty, crepuscular “Fog on the Lake” to the stark, pointillist “A Pizzicato Life.”With its many references to Chicago art and artists, Impressions brings together the two metropolises that Olivier calls home – the Windy City and the City of Lights, Chicago and Paris. The album bridges various landmarks for the harpist, including her roots in jazz and classical music, as well as her love for aural and visual art. These seemingly divergent poles have never been separate in her mind – she was introduced to her instrument in the first place by Duchess, the harp-playing cat in Walt Disney's jazz-inflected 1970 animated film The Aristocats. Not long after finishing her classical studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Lyon, she co-founded the jazz quartet Océan with the Moutin Brothers, well known figures on the French and American jazz scenes.Support the show

Pennsylvania has graced the world with an inordinate number of influential women throughout its history but looking with a sharper lens at four women in particular highlights not just their achievements, but also key trends in the U.S. and Pennsylvania in the 1800’s. Dr. Christine Senecal, Medieval Historian, shared some of the most important women from Pennsylvania whose lives made a positive impact on the world today. Mary Cassatt was the only American to exhibit alongside the French Impressionists in France. Cassatt’s artwork was very radical for her time, that is still celebrated to this day. “So, she did many pictures and paintings of women with children, and while that had been a pretty common scene in art, like Renoir did a lot of that, he was an imperious artist, she tended to focus on women, the labor that women did in care taking. So, if you look at a Renoir and you look at, um, like the women with the children, they're both smiling, sort of smiling for the camera, so to speak. Mary Cassatt's women are like tending to the children. And there's a lot of love and affection in her paintings, but also it shows women working. Moreover, there's pictures of women, many women, looking intently at things.” Nellie Bly was an investigative journalist who was known for her undercover reporting on a mental asylum, her trip around the world, and her advocacy for women’s rights. “She would throw herself into some news, a kind of important journalistic story. The most infamous or famous of this is a piece she wrote called Ten Days in the Madhouse. Off of the coast of New York, Manhattan, there's an island, it's an island that's now called Roosevelt Island and there was a woman's lunatic asylum, and it was supposed to be really corrupt. Nellie Bly got herself into the asylum. She did it by like going overnight, like she didn't let herself sleep. And so, she looked all crazy. And she checked herself into a kind of like dormitory to get into it and acted really crazy. Once she was in, she was eventually accepted into the woman's lunatic asylum. She was, you know, able to really record the horrible abuses and broke the story.” Listen to the podcast to hear about Union Organizer Fannie Sellins, and abolitionist Sarah Mapps Douglass.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Impressionism is perhaps the most-viewed and best-loved movement in art history. A new exhibition, first shown in Paris, looks back 150 years to its founding moment and to the darkness hidden behind all that light. Jeffrey Brown visited "Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment" at the National Gallery of Art for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Impressionism is perhaps the most-viewed and best-loved movement in art history. A new exhibition, first shown in Paris, looks back 150 years to its founding moment and to the darkness hidden behind all that light. Jeffrey Brown visited "Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment" at the National Gallery of Art for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Is it a faun? Is it moonlight? Yes, it's Claude Debussy! Over the next 30 minutes, Joanna and Stephen discuss the musical development of French impressionism. We see how three composers, Debussy, Ravel and Boulez, summoned images through sound and set the imagination free.

This episode invites you to understand the profound roles and meanings that light has played, both in the masterstrokes of French Impressionists and the guiding words of Jesus Christ. As we traverse the landscapes of art and faith, we uncover how light symbolizes truth and life, inspiring us to shine with good deeds that reflect the glory of God. It's a conversation that promises to brighten your perspective and challenge you to live out your calling as a light of the world.   Discover the art of disciple-making through divine collaboration and witness the transformative power of storytelling and accessible language in sharing the Gospel. Our dialogue delves into Jesus' methodology and how we can apply these teachings to resonate with today's culture. We emphasize the significance of each church member's unique contributions and the collective effort required to live out love and service. By interweaving our actions with God's power, we navigate the mission of making disciples, fulfilling the Great Commission, and impacting lives.   Join us as we light the way, much like fireflies on a summer night, igniting the paths of those around us with our actions and unwavering faith.

Fabrice Braunrot was Vice-Chairman of JP Morgan Chase and is now the Co-Founder of Harvest Ridge Capital. Fabrice discusses two of his obsessions; how to eat well and how to build great client relationships. Learn about “green washing” and why we need many more nuclear reactors! If you want to build trusting relationships, do not read from a script, but instead, solve their problems and also consider the art of the French Impressionists!

Phil and Laura this week look at a painting by Berthe Morisot, one of the leading French Impressionists. The vivid oil painting features a lady rowing a boat, with geese standing on the edge of a river… or does it? Time to take a closer look…For more information and to see the artwork being discussed please visit www.seventh-art.com/podcast

WELCOME BACK TO SEASON 6 OF THE GWA PODCAST! In episode 65 of The Great Women Artists Podcast, Katy Hessel interviews the acclaimed poet EILEEN MYLES on the legendary painter, JOAN MITCHELL! [This episode is brought to you by Alighieri jewellery: www.alighieri.co.uk | use the code TGWA at checkout for 10% off!] A resident of New York City since 1974, Eileen Myles has been one of the greatest living poets of the last few decades. Their recent poem Eight Poems and Joan Mitchell's City Landscape, is featured in the most extensive book of Joan Mitchell to date (published by Yale University Press: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300247275/joan-mitchell); a text exploring Myles's own relationship to the late great artist, whose tough, bold, gestural, almost indestructible 1955 painting, City Landscape, is described by them as “bitch work. It's tooth and claw”. One of the foremost Abstract Expressionist painters, Joan Mitchell was born in 1925 in Chicago. A competitive figure skater as a kid, Mitchell entered the NY art scene in 1950, and a year later, exhibited in the iconic 1951 Ninth Street Show.  A frequenter of the hard-drinking Cedar Tavern, immersed in the NY 50s poetry scene (she was a great friend of Frank O'Hara) and famed for her feisty personality, as a painter Mitchell was a genius at transforming paint into gusts of light, energy and movement.Applying her oils with strokes that varied from feathery and translucent to thick and aggressive, she looked to the French Impressionists for influence.  Whereas in the first half of the 1950s, Mitchell's work resembled lyrical, loosely formed shapes, as the decade progressed(following her regular travels to France from ‘55), her work transformed into more intense compositions. At times working on paintings far taller than she was, you can almost imagine her jumping up, fighting the work with industrial, heavyweight brushes.  Whether it be rage at the system or anger at her father, the vigour of her gesture proves her worthy of being recognised as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Not to mention the dazzling tones these paintings emits. Witness one in the flesh, and you get lost in her world. As one of the leading poets ALIVE, Myles's take on Mitchell is fascinating -- listen out for the poem they wrote about preparing for the podcast too!  Further links:  https://www.joanmitchellfoundation.org/joan-mitchell https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/joan-mitchell https://artbma.org/exhibition/joan-mitchell/ https://www.eileenmyles.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWH2rRJKXA&ab_channel=LouisianaChannel LISTEN NOW + ENJOY!!! Follow us: Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel Sound editing by Nada Smiljanic Research assistant: Viva Ruggi Artwork by @thisisaliceskinner Music by Ben Wetherfield https://www.thegreatwomenartists.com/

In the inaugural episode of Overheard Orlando's return, I sit to chat with local Orlando artist Tom Sadler about the centuries old technique of Plein Air painting. Like the French Impressionists before him, Tom has a penchant for nature and seeks out the pristine areas of Florida yet to be affected by human activity. We'll  discuss the virtues of innate talent vs. learned technique and how to view the world through the eyes of an artist.

The Macchiaioli who closely resembled the French Impressionists never received the same international acclaim. Let's take a look at the painters Giovanni Fattori and Claude Monet and compare the two 19th century artistic movements and discover how the invention of paint in tubes change the course of art history. Follow along with transcripts in English & Italian on the www.StudentessaMatta website 

Travel Editor Stephen Scourfield reports on the latest travel insurance developments with Allianz. Will Yeoman talks about the French Impressionism exhibition opening in Melbourne next month. (No bad impressions of French Impressionists, promise.). Mogens Johansen makes photographic mumbo jumbo a little clearer. We think. And Stephen chats with Steve Butler about the situation in the Kimberley. You need to know this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get Familiar with 5AM, an innovative electronic music producer who is pushing the boundaries on what improvisation can look like in the abstract corner of electronica. 5AM went from asking “What’s a Tipper?” when first encountering his name on a festival lineup  to kicking off Uptempo night for his “Tippsgiving” event at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, cementing himself as a staple in a scene whose influence we compare to the French Impressionists and Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. We chat about the 5AM Trio’s approach and the process of establishing a cohesive vision with his band mates, Tygris & Zone Drums. 5AM also shares his perspective on how religion, spirituality, and heady philosophy intersect with festival culture and contribute to the cleansing nature of our collective experiences. Follow Almost Familiar on Social Media: Instagram: @almostfamiliarpodFacebook: Almost FamiliarEmail Us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com Heard in this Episode: Almost Familiar by Pretty LightsHow We Do by Pretty Lights

Writer and scholar Lauren Elkin describes the very particular grey of a rainy Paris in the time of year that the French revolutionary government called Pluviôse, the month of rain. She talks about the way a particular quality of grey sheen was captured by the French Impressionists, and with it a sense of melancholy. It's a vision that recurs in art and film, from Gustave Caillebotte's 1877 Paris Street, Rainy Day, to the recent Christophe Honore film, Les Chansons d'Amour. Elkin describes the latter as appearing to have been shot through a very realistic grey-green "Paris in the rain" filter, which gives it a power and mood rooted in its setting.

Sarah Walker returns for part two on Tracy's Prog World chat show. She talks of her great college friend, Clive Nolan, Prog composer and discusses her part in his KINGS Ransom. Sarah shares her love of the Essential Classics and the French Impressionists. She also laments "Im in danger of loosing touch with unreality." Sarah shares with us her worst music related experience that happened to her. It's bitter sweet experience. Sarah Walker currently presents the BBC Sunday Morning Show, and has so much to share. Come on board.

In celebration of Black History Month I will be posting regular podcast episodes, which specifically focus on Black female artists and figures in history.In todays episode I will be discussing the life and work of Lois Mailou Jones (1905 - 1998) who was a pioneering teacher at Howard University and award winning painter, textile designer and mixed media artist. Her work often evolved depending on her environment and as a result she has a wonderfully diverse body of work, which includes paintings inspired by African art and culture as well as artwork in the style of the French Impressionists. Despite working during a time of segregation and hostility towards people of colour she persevered and forged a successful career, which paved the way for many artists after her. Instagram @themuseumoffemininity Sourceshttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Lois-Mailou-Joneshttps://awarewomenartists.com/en/artiste/lois-mailou-jones/https://americanart.si.edu/artist/lo%C3%AFs-mailou-jones-5658https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6aLZ222hKs&t=317s

Join us for The Atlas Society Asks Michael Newberry and Stephen Hicks. Michael Newberry is an American neo-romanticist painter based in Idyllwild, California. He blends a variety of influences, notably Rembrandt and the French Impressionists. The Atlas Society Senior Scholar Dr. Stephen Hicks is a professor of philosophy at Rockford University as well as the Director of the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship. Professor Hicks has written a number of books, including Explaining Postmodernism (he also just wrote the intro to our just released Pocket Guide to Postmodernism).“Newberry’s work speaks to the senses, the intellect, and the passions of those who do not need the judgment of history to tell them what is great, but who can themselves make the judgment of history today.” –Dr. Hicks

 Chicago Facts & Background — (maybe help you win at trivia) Chicago is located on the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan which is an inland sea 307 miles long and  118 miles wide.French fur trappers coming south  along the shore of the Lake passed through the Chicago region as early as the 1780’s.Jean Baptiste Point du Sable stayed, started a fur trading outpost  and is credited as the founder of the city.It  stayed a wilderness outpost with a small fort, Fort Dearborn being built in 1803 and then being  abandoned a few years later. It wasn’t until 1833 that it was incorporated as a village.Chicago then grew rapidly as the gateway to the westward expansion of the country. Huge quantities of logs from the North Woods were sent down the Lake and were processed into lumber needed for housing on the Great Plains and beyond. Manufactured goods came from the east. Everything went through Chicago. Grain from the surrounding farmland went East. By 1854 Chicago was the world’s largest grain port.By 1870 Chicago was the second largest city in the country.Then disaster struck.  Because of the city’s rapid growth all, nearly all construction was wood rather than brick. In many places the sidewalks and even the streets were wood.The fall of 1871 was hot and dry. On a windy day in October , legend has it that  Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern which started her barn on fire. From there the fire spread rapidly and soon engulfed much of the city.It was estimated that as many as 300 people were killed and 100,000 people were left homeless. The embers from the fire  were still warm, when the first load of rebuilding supplies arrived. With aid pouring in from all over the country and the world, Chicago rebuilt and went on to an even greater growth spurt, going from a population of 299,000 in 1870 to 1.7 million in 1900.This rapid growth created opportunities that  attracted immigration from Europe that is still  reflected in much of the city’s population today,Polish, German, Italian to name  a few.The recovery from the fire  also created a confidence and optimism in the population can still be felt today. Top Restaurants Les Nomades  222 E. Ontario. We love  Les Nomades for its creative French Cuisine and its friendly elegance without a trace of stuffiness.It is what you imagine a Parisian restaurant to be. http://www.lesnomades.netSpiagia 980 N. Michigan Refined  Italian Cuisine with a great view of Lake Michigan.Spiagia Café is a more casual version open for Lunch as well as Dinnerhttps://spiaggiarestaurant.com/about/cafe-spiaggia-storyTopolabompo 445 N Clark  Always changing regional Mexican like you have never tasted before. https://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/topolobampo/Fontera grill next door is less formal and adventuresome, but equally well executed.https://nextdoor.com/pages/frontera-grill-2/River Roast  315 N La Salle  Roasted chicken, beef, pork and fish served family style. With great view of Chicago River. Brunch with some of the  City’s best Blues musicians playing.https://www.riverroastchicago.com/#_homeTratoria No. 10   at 10 N. Dearborn Italian American charming  setting reminiscent of a Renaissance cellar dining  hall.http://www.trattoriaten.com Comfort Food: Portillo’s: Beef sandwiches ,Chicago style hot dogs  and Polish Sausageshttps://www.portillos.com Lou Malnati’s:  Thick crust Pizzahttps://www.loumalnatis.com/chicago-old-irving-six-corners Drinks: Trump Tower Terrace 16 for a fantastic view of the Lake and Chicago River 410 N Wabashhttps://www.trumphotels.com/chicago/dining/fine-dining-chicago?utm_source=google-local&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmbLondon house hotelhttps://londonhousechicago.com  Best Museums: Art Institute of Chicago 111 S. Michigan Great Collection of French Impressionists and Post Impressionists.Iconic American 20th century, Hopper’s Night Hawks, Grant Wood’s  American Gothic and much, much more.https://www.artic.eduApp audio guide Field Museum of Natural History: Sue the T-Rex now has her own room plus  new Maximo the Titanosaur , the largest land animal that ever lived, Our Evolving Planet , Egyptian exhibit and changing exhibits.https://www.fieldmuseum.org The Shed Aquarium and Adler Planetarium are on the same Museum Campus  as the Field Museum.https://www.sheddaquarium.org Museum of Science and Industry 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr.   Has a real German submarine from WWII. Coal Mine , many interesting  scientific exhibits and Imax Theater.https://www.msichicago.org Favorite Sport Teams: Cubs play at Wrigley Field Clark and Addison . Core of World series team still on the playing but maybe not for long see the while you can.https://www.mlb.com/cubs/scheduleWhite Soxs play at Gauranteed Rate Field (Sox Park) 35 th Street and Shields Good young team coming together fun to  watch.https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/tickets/single-game-tickets?mlbkw=ds-g-p30687924720&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1236799&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0pfzBRCOARIsANi0g0uqcB2q7CeMc5e1Pkmwl1rrREtu3K_lNVo-D5pIGB-Wy0f57E5v_l8aAvjBEALw_wcByya  NFL  Bears play at Soldier Fieldhttps://www.chicagobears.comLeague Soccer: Chicago Fire Play at Soldier Field alsohttps://www.soccer.com/shop/fan/teams/chicago-fire?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0pfzBRCOARIsANi0g0vIfuuqpHXv6GZHNXnuTzh7VRUPONOWD_i__WMDFZZkfjm-KTlOTfkaAgvKEALw_wcB                          Bulls in NBA and Blackhawks in NHL play at United CenterSKY in WNBA play at Wintrust Arenahttps://www.vividseats.com/nhl-hockey/chicago-blackhawks-tickets.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=DSA+NHL+Hockey+tROAS+v2&utm_term=&vkid=15545231&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0pfzBRCOARIsANi0g0swVoX2n2fZ_em9mal-mzjYhrbjuDCbclO_Q6SlycZRZXX3KHfcntIaAg9XEALw_wcB Buildings:Willis Tower : (Formerly and still called Sears Tower) was the tallest building in the world for about 30 years and is still the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Has a great observation deck at the top including The Ledge, a clear glass platform you can walk out on and look down 103 floors,if you dare. John Handcock Building: Almost as high as Willis tower, the observation deck  has beautiful views looking  east and north  over the lake and shoreline as well as west and south over the city.The deck also has glass panels that tilt out so you can look down to the street. Navy Pier  is a 3300 foot long pier that sticks out into Lake Michigan starting at 600 E Grand Ave. It has a Ferris Wheel with an excellent view of the city and is highly recommended Also there are various boat rides out into the lake  from a tall sailing ship, the Windy, to speed boats, fast and really fast Sea Dog and Super Sea Dog, to calmer sightseeing and  lunch and   dinner cruises. We recommend you try at least one. The guides will a bit of history and explain  points of interest on all the cruises .Navy pier is also the home of the Shakespeare Theater one of the best theaters in the city ,and it is not all Shakespeare. CAC River Cruise  Over a century ago, Chicago was a young city and was rebuilding from  the fire; so there was  land and opportunity for young and innovative architects  to experiment with new and even radical designs. Not all of those buildings remain, but that spirit of innovation does remain in Chicago Architecture. To really appreciate this architecture, take a river cruise run by the Chicago Architecture  Center.Many of most beautiful buildings are built along the river. And the docents on the river cruises will give you a treasure-trove of information.

Western born artist, Francis Livingston was one of the top ranks of American illustrators, including the book cover for "Dances with Wolves". Francis Livingston's paintings have been exhibited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Livingston was awarded both Gold and Silver Medals from the New York Society of Illustrators, San Francisco Society of Illustrators, and Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. Francis Livingston first studied at the Rocky Mountain School of Art in Denver before moving to San Francisco in 1975 to attend the Academy of Art. He has been an instructor in the illustration and painting department for 25 years. Influenced by Sargent and Whistler, Francis Livingston painted primarily in a monochromatic style until he began to study the work of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, including Richard Diebenkorn, Wayne Thiebaud, and others. That led to experiments with color and a fondness for the California and French Impressionists.Livingston is now one of the top western artist focusing on Native and Southwest imagery whose inspiration included the Taos artists and Maynard Dixon

The in-gallery events of “Art Matters | Santa Fe”, hosted by individual galleries and museums and sponsored by the Santa Fe Gallery Association, will feature the diversity of artwork in Santa Fe as well as critical discussions and lectures regarding the specific artists and art historical time periods presented by the host galleries. These events, intended to focus on the galleries, their artists and curatorial programs, will appeal to collectors and art enthusiasts as well as academics and historians and showcase the depth and expertise of Santa Fe gallery collections and owners respectively. The artwork ranges from contemporary abstraction and figuration, modern masters and French Impressionists, film, installations and interactive presentations to historic and twentieth-century Native American art, Japanese Samurai warrior armor and Japanese painting. Artwork

In 1890, President George Q. Cannon sent 5 young artists from Salt Lake City to Paris to study painting in preparation of the completion of the Salt Lake Temple. After convincing the Church to sponsor John Hafen, Lorus Pratt, JB Fairbanks, Edwin Evans, and Herman Haag left for the Academie Julian to study painting under the great French Impressionists of the Belle Epoque. In this special episode, we discuss their background training, and impact on Utah Art in the 20th Century. 

The exhibition "Daubigny, Monet, Van Gogh: Impressions of Landscape" introduces Charles François Daubigny, a relatively forgotten artist from the 1800s. It explores his landscape painting and his influence on the younger generation of artists known as the French Impressionists.

San Francisco-based artist Ann Rea creates an Experience of Art™ for select patrons that is an innovative blend of new and old world mediums. Patrons choose their favorite landscape and join this nationally acclaimed artist for a tour of that special place, one that holds their heart’s most meaningful memories. The artist returns to paint several studies in oils on canvas, shaping colors inspired by sunlight. Week by week, patrons witness the evolution of their painting by way of a dedicated online creative diary. They then choose one or more studies for Ann Rea to reinterpret on larger custom canvases. A beautiful signed storybook chronicles this personal experience. Ann Rea draws on the tradition of the French Impressionists and the influences of her mentor, contemporary painter Wayne Thiebaud, an American art icon. Rea continues to garner national media attention, including in magazines such as Fortune and Wine Enthusiast. Ann Rea hosts a limited number of in-studio visits as well as Art & Wine Pairings. She is also a spellbinding guest speaker at conferences and business events where she shares her inspiring personal story and innovative business approach to the art market. Visit her website to see samples of her amazing art. Pro-Track Profile I talked with Ann recently and asked her about her background as a San Francisco-based artist and the inspiration for the unique experience of art she shares with clients. To hear what she told me, and her impressions of the National Speakers Association Pro-Track class that she is part of, click on the podcast icon below.

Adolphe Monticelli has been forgotten by all but the most devoted art historians, but his legacy will live eternal through the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne and a whole generation of French Impressionists. Monticelli may rightfully be called,”The World's Most Influential Painter That No One Has Ever Heard Of.” Thomas Jefferson was alive when Monticelli was born and Teddy Roosevelt had just entered politics when Monticelli died in 1886. Although he lived an obscure life in deep poverty, Monticelli left behind nearly 3,500 paintings. Confronted with criticism of his unpopular style in 1860, Monticelli remarked, “I paint for thirty years from now.” When Vincent Van Gogh arrived in Paris in 1886, he discovered the paintings Monticelli had created 30 years earlier. Immediately upon seeing these works, Van Gogh adopted a brighter palette and a bolder attack and later remarked, “I sometimes think I am really continuing that man.” When Van Gogh's new style was praised by an art critic in the newspaper, he replied, “Dear Monsieur Aurier: Many thanks for your article in the Mercure de France, which greatly surprised me. I like it very much as a work of art in itself, in my opinion your words produce colour. In short, I rediscover my canvases in your article, but better than they are, richer, more full of meaning. However, I feel uneasy in my mind because I know that what you say is due to others rather than myself. For example, Monticelli in particular. Saying as you do: “As far as I know, he [Van Gogh] is the only painter to perceive the chromatism of things with such intensity, with such a metallic, gem-like lustre…” Please be so kind as to go and see a certain bouquet by Monticelli at my brother's – then you will see what I want to say.” – Vincent Van Gogh to G. Albert Aurier, February 1890 Nine years after Monticelli died, Oscar Wilde moaned of his bankruptcy in a letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, “That all my charming things were to be sold: my Burne-Jones drawings: my Whistler drawings: my Monticelli: my Simeon Solomons: my china: my Library…” Finally, more than 100 years after his death, Monticelli's paintings hang in the Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery in London. One painting by Monticelli was recently auctioned at Christie's for $608,000. The Monticelli at the top of this page is on its way from Luxembourg to Austin where it will hang in the tower at Wizard Academy, on loan from Pennie and myself. Would you like to have a limited edition print of the painting? If things go as planned, we should be able to get your print to you by Christmas. No copies of this glowing Christmas image have ever been made. You'll own one of only a very few copies of this Monticelli image in all the world. May his light shine forever. Roy H. Williams

Monet was the leader of the French Impressionists, a group who dragged their easels outside to paint en plein air to capture the changeable nature of light and colour.