December 13, 2013-April 14, 2014
At the turn of the 19th century and into the early years of the 20th, France’s art world saw a variety of exciting new movements that completely redefined accepted artistic standards. Movements such as Impressionism and, later, Fauvism, Neo-Impressionism, and others characterize the artistic innovations of the age, as they rejected traditional rules about color and form and declared new creative manifestos. The artists leading these schools—Renoir, Vuillard, Luce and their contemporaries—remain known today for developing much of what we continue to consider culturally and artistically meaningful from this period in history. Owing much to the developing influence of Impressionism, these artists worked with a freedom of brushwork, form, and color never seen before. They are bold and experimental, diverse in style, and passionately committed to the new. Truly, the paintings of this period announce the arrival of modern art in Europe.
The works come to the University of Arizona Museum of Art from the generosity of George Gregson, himself a UA alumnus. He contributed to the school throughout his life by donating not only the treasured artworks seen here, but also scholarship opportunities for deserving students and a number of other kind gifts.
His continued efforts to acquire both paintings and sculptures grew from a deep and evident love of the artworks themselves. Together these pieces testify to the passion of their donor and his willingness to share them with the community. In them, we can gain some sense of their artists’ incredible ability to imbue the works with a luminous, active sense of life that still glows even after the passing of a century.
Luminous Moments is curated by Rachel DeLozier, Curatorial Intern, under the supervision of Olivia Miller, Curator of Education
