This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at LSU chapter.
On February 26, I went to the Baton Rouge Museum of Art to see their exhibit “In a New Light,” which showcases American Impressionism artwork from 1870–1940.
The works have been provided by the Bank of America Collection and have been up since October. However, the exhibit will be open until March 23, 2025, for anyone who would like the chance to go.
“In a New Light” follows the development of American Impressionism with a heavy focus on French influence, while simultaneously highlighting the distinct American Style that maintained its prevalence during a time of major style change. The museum makes an effort to feature its more recognized artists while also giving well-deserved acknowledgment to some less-known artists as a way to give thanks for their influence on the genre.
The exhibit is organized chronologically in the beginning and slowly breaks off as the impressionism genre developed throughout America. Many American artists began to study abroad in Europe, especially at academies in France. Likewise, French artists began to put on exhibitions in Boston and New York. The exhibit at the LSU MOA highlights the direction this gave American Impressionism and focuses a lot on the schools that developed in America as a result. These art colonies and regional schools would ultimately produce some of the most famous American paintings of the period.
The art at the beginning of the museum is clearly more traditional and as you walk further, you see the real descent into impressionism like the rise of quick visible brushstrokes and unblended vibrant colors. The exhibit also brings attention to the revival of landscape painting and the depiction of people in real-world settings.
The goal of impressionism is to give the audience an impression of an exact moment rather than focusing on finer details, which is why impressionism is often perceived as blurred or messy. However, this exhibit shines a light on how this is not the only characteristic of the genre. There are absolutely beautiful scenes of people in their everyday lives, at the beach or the bank; highly detailed vibrant floral still lives; and large landscape paintings, such as moody scenes of ships at sea and winter afternoons with cityscapes covered in snow.
At the turn of the century, many artists began to feel like impressionism did not resonate with the American experience and began to turn to realism as a method to expose the real harshness of life in the United States. A lot of the works in the “In a New Light” exhibit that adhered to realism during the Impressionism Era are based around Native Americans and provide a really unique perspective into the period.
The museum acknowledges the influence of other characteristics during the Impressionism period such as “painting en plein air,” or when artists would paint outside in the open air. There are also informational placards on the music of the period, even including an acknowledgment of Louisiana’s own Enserts Guirad.
Although impressionism might not be everyone’s favorite, works like the ones in the “In a New Light” exhibit set the framework for post-Impressionism artists like Van Gogh and Seraut to come to light. This exhibit does a great job of marking a transitional period in American art history.
As of February 27, the LSU MOA also opened its Golden Legacy Exhibit open, which delves into the nostalgic artistry of the Little Golden Books. The exhibit will include 60 illustrations spanning over 80 years.
I am really excited about this exhibit since we all had Little Golden Books as kids, the ones with the shiny gold spine. So, I think that this would be a fun show for everyone to see regardless of your knowledge of art and/or art history.
The Museum is located at 100 Lafayette St. in Downtown Baton Rouge. It is on the fifth floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. Admission is free for students and $5 for the general public.