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Impressionist Techniques | Landscapes of Modernity | Leisure | Group Dynamics
Group Dynamics
One of the most unusual aspects of the impressionists' work at Argenteuil
was their communal approach. On numerous occasions Monet stood alongside
one of his artist friends, and both painted the same scene. Sisley was
the first to visit Monet in Argenteuil in 1872, and they initiated this
custom. Together they painted four different views, the earliest of which
were the renderings of the Boulevard Hèloïse, one of Argenteuil's
main thoroughfares. In 1873 and 1874 Monet continued this practice with
Renoir, painting five pendant views, among them the paired versions of
the celebrated Sailboats at Argenteuil.
Such close cooperation was quite rare and gave the painters many opportunities
to discuss their artistic strategies and to share information, observations,
and technical innovations. When Manet visited Monet in Argenteuil in the
summer of 1874, the older artist was encouraged to adopt the impressionist
discipline of painting en plein air.
In addition to working side by side, the artists also made portraits of
one another during their stays with Monet. Renoir,
for example, painted his host on four occasions, not only avoiding
the expense of hiring a model but also deepening their friendship. As
a group, the impressionists tried to put shared goals before individual
differences, and common concerns before personal gains. Nowhere is this
more apparent than in their paintings of Argenteuil.
Impressionist Techniques | Landscapes of Modernity | Leisure | Group Dynamics