Impressionists in London; French Artists in Exile, 1870 to 1904
A short stroll from the Petit Madeleine Hotel
The unstable political climate in France at the end of the 19th century prompted many artists, some of whom would gain fame as the French Impressionists, to seek a safe haven in London. Their ranks included Derain, Monet, Pissaro, Tissot and Sysley. Settled in the British capital they often painted the same subjects, including the Thames, its ports and the Houses of Parliament. Swapping the banks of the Seine or those of the Marne for Victorian England, they created the masterpieces that are now on show in the Petit Palais.
They captured the modulations of the light, the setting sun, and the invasive London mists, immortalising on canvas the sadness and anguish of exile while brilliantly evoking the soul of the city that welcomed them.
The fin de siècle period constituted for the artists a time of inspiration, innovation and the exchange of ideas.
Something to reflect on during this time of Brexit!
The Petit Palais : Avenue Winston Churchill www.petitpalais.paris.fr from June 18th to October 14th, 2018
