Collectors' Edition French Impressionist Painting: Pissarro, Sisley, Degas

Author: Pissarro, Sisley, Degas
Editor: Qi Fengge
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: French Impressionist painting emerged in the 1860s with an innovative spirit on the French art scene and has influenced the world for over a century. It can be said to have a unique fate and charm in art history, giving rise to many influential artists. The Complete Collection of French Impressionist Painting is a six-volume set, the most comprehensive anthology in China to showcase the works of renowned Impressionist painters. The six volumes are titled: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Lautrec, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas, Renoir, Boudin, Manet, Morisot, Monet, and Seurat, Signac, Cézanne. Pissarro, Sisley, and Degas are all celebrated Impressionist painters. This book includes over 320 of their works, with more than 70 by Pissarro, over 80 by Sisley, and over 160 by Degas. It is one of the most comprehensive albums of these three Impressionist painters published in China. The printing is exquisite, accompanied by introductions to the three artists.
Detailed Introduction:
Alfred Sisley (1839–1899)
Alfred Sisley, originally from Britain, settled in France. A wealthy upbringing and a sound art education fostered his gentle, humble, and kind nature, embodying the typical demeanor of an English gentleman. In art, Sisley initially favored the Realist style of the French Barbizon School, appreciating the beauty of nature and poetic landscapes. Later, while studying at Gleyre's studio in Paris, he met Impressionist painters Monet and Renoir, who influenced him to shift his focus from the Barbizon School to Impressionist practice. He painted outdoors with Monet and others, exploring the effects of sunlight and natural scenery. In terms of color, Sisley often used warm tones to depict nature, particularly vibrant combinations of orange, yellow, and red. His brushwork featured strong, dotted strokes to convey the lightness and fluidity of skies and water, as seen in works like The Flood at Marly and Rowing Race at Moret. Although Sisley only participated in three Impressionist exhibitions, he represented the steady style within the movement.
Edgar Degas (1834–1917)
Degas was a distinctive figure among Impressionist painters, renowned for his depictions of dancers. He combined his solid draftsmanship with Impressionist color, calling himself a "colorist who uses lines." Born into a wealthy banker family in Paris, Degas entered the Paris Academy of Fine Arts at 21. Early in his career, he worked in traditional historical painting before shifting to modern subjects, developing a keen interest in opera houses and ballet studios. He excelled at capturing the fleeting poses of dancers, focusing on the dynamic rhythm of compositions, and often used stage lighting effects to depict ballet scenes, such as in Dancers at Rehearsal and Dancer with a Bouquet. His most representative work is Dancer on Stage, where a young dancer performs gracefully, her shimmering skirts and radiant light conveying a sense of lightness and elegance. During the Franco-Prussian War, Degas served in the artillery. He enthusiastically depicted ordinary people in his works, including jockeys, laundresses, and others. A straightforward and serious-minded man, he rarely had close friends, maintained a rigorous artistic attitude, and consistently participated in Impressionist exhibitions (only withdrawing from the seventh one in protest) but refused to accept the label "Impressionist." Influenced by Classicism, he held a hostile attitude toward the official Salon. He worked diligently throughout his life and took up sculpture when his eyesight deteriorated in his later years. Degas lived to the age of 83, never married, and devoted his entire life and passion to the art he loved.
Georges Seurat (1859–1891)
Seurat was a short-lived painter who lived only 32 years, known for his solitary, serious, and pragmatic nature. After studying at the Paris School of Fine Arts and serving a year in the military, he settled in Paris and devoted himself to painting. Initially learning Impressionist techniques, he quickly moved beyond them, exploring color through optical experiments and employing pointillism to create a series of works, such as Bathers at Asnieres and Women Dressing Before a Mirror. His most influential work is A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, painted between 1884 and 1886. It depicts a lively scene on the island of La Grande Jatte near Paris. To create this painting, Seurat produced over 20 preparatory sketches and nearly 20 oil studies. The dozens of figures—sitting, standing, and still—convey a sense of order and solemnity. His arrangement of red, yellow, and white dots creates a delicate yet rigid effect, contrasting with the free and spontaneous brushwork and color of Impressionism, lacking passion and vitality. Seurat's paintings are large in scale, often using vertical and horizontal intersecting lines to create a solemn and quiet atmosphere, sometimes humorous but stiff and lifeless. Some argue that his works are indeed "scientific art," and the claim is not without merit.