The three impressionist paintings I have chosen include the works of Caillebotte, Monet and Conder. I chose these three artists as they are very different from one another in their styles and their use of color. I think that a variety in the office will give the office more life and leave an impression on visitors. Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte is one of my favorite impressionist period paintings. Caillebotte painted this is 1877. The painting depicts a rainy day in urban Paris. In the forefront of the painting is a man holding an umbrella with a woman next to him holding the bicep area of his arm. They are on the right side of the painting wearing 19th century clothing. The woman is wearing along black dress and has her right hand tucking the left side of her dress up slightly from the ground. The man is wearing a top hat and bow tie with a white shirt, long black coat and vest with gray slacks. The two are depicted in the painting from just below the knees so their feet cannot be seen. Both figures are glancing slightly to their right. The street is cobblestone gray and the background presents an intersection. There are scattered people walking with rainbows in black clothing as well as a couple horse carriages. The painting is very impressive as it actually looks as though it is raining. There is a building centered in the background similar to what one would see in 19th century Paris. The building is painted in such a way as to present a 3-D depiction. I have chosen this painting for the office because I believe it is one of the best in this era. It can be hung in the busy hallway of the office as it will give the impression of style to the office.
Another Impressionist painting, I have chosen is Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet. It was painted in 1872. Everyone is likely to know a Monet painting when it is seen and to me, Monet means class. The painting is that of a French harbor. The only colors in the painting are shades of yellow, blue and green. The top one-third of the painting is the sky. The sky is various tones of yellow painted with brush strokes. This is supposed to represent the slowly darkening sky during sunset. There are also various strokes of white in the sky giving an appearance of clouds. There is also a small orange sun in the background. The bottom one-half of the painting depicts water. The water appears waving with a mix of greens, blues and yellows. On the lake is a small silhouette of a row boat with two individuals on board. One person is standing with a row and the other is seated in the boat. This is almost centered on the painting but relatively small giving the appearance that is if far away. In between the sky and the water is the land. It is painted in mostly blues with only a small amount of trees. It almost looks like marsh and trees of blue. The very small orange sun is also casting a shadow of orange and yellow onto the water. This painting is very attractive and very subtle in its presentation. I do think you will like this one. I would place this painting in the lobby or receptionist area of the office.
The last impressionist painting I chose is A holiday in Mentone by Charles Conder. This was painted in 1888. This painting is very different than the other two and I chose it for that reason. The painting presents a beach with a walking bridge in the background. The sky is very bright color of blue with two clouds almost centered on the background. The bridge spans across the painting underneath the sky. There are three cement supports under the bridge where the water can be seen on the right and further sand on the left. There are also various individuals on the back side of the bride. There are four individuals on the bridge: a man, two women and a child. The beach is in front of the bridge almost a tan color. The bridge is giving off a shadow nearly underneath of it. A man is standing near the bridge in a black top hat and a gray jacket. A woman is sitting in a wooden chair near the front left of the painting. She appears to be reading as she is looking down. She is wearing a red hat and a long pinkish colored dress with long sleeves. The beach is painted so that there appears to be rifts in the sand. I would place this painting near the entrance of either your office or one of your assistant’s office.
The three post-impressionist painting I have chosen for the office include the works of Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat. Vincent Van Gogh’s Wheatfield with Cypresses is a beautiful work of art that will look delightful in the conference room with the other two post-impressionist paintings. Placing these three paintings in the conference room will not only add color and energy to the room but also will be a great conversation starter for pre-meeting discussions. This particular painting was painted in 1889 with oil on canvas while Van Gogh was in a mental institution. There are gold wheatfileds in the forefront of the painting that appear to be blowing slightly from the wind. To the right is two cypress trees with a variety of much smaller lighter green trees to its front and left. Most of the background is the sky with wispy clouds that appear to be swirling around. Beneath the sky are mountains with rounded tops. To the left and more to the front of the cypress trees is what appears to be a bush. It is nearly gray in color in the front and near the top it has green colored branches.
Paul Gauguin’s Landscape at Pont Aven was painted in 1888. It is a very colorful and busy painting of various colors and types of trees. The painting is very detailed but with the type of brush Gauguin used it is hard to see all the details upon first glance. Near the center of the painting is a white brick house with a brown roof. All around the house there are trees of green. One tree is even an orange color. There are too many small details and colors to describe the painting in full detail. Near the front left of the painting is a wooden bridge and what appears to be a brick colored bridge as well. There is not one solid color throughout the entire painting. Near the right front of the painting a woman dressed as a nun and she has something white that she is holding in her hand. There is a light blue colored sky in the background which presents it as a summer day. This painting will present perfectly with Van Gogh’s as they both are landscape outdoor pictures.
The final post-impressionist painting that will be placed in the conference room is A Sunday Afternoon On the Island Of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. This painting was completed in about 1885. The scene of the painting is the on a river which is on the left of the painting. The shore could be sand but appears more like yellowish brown grass as there are several trees growing throughout it. There are many people in the painting, as wells as a couple dogs and a pet monkey. The people in the forefront are on green grass. The most predominant figures are a man and woman on the right side. The woman is viewed from the side. She is holding a black umbrella and has a man that is slightly picture on the other side of her. Her skirt is light gray and puffs out by the buttocks. Her shirt is black with mid sleeves and she appears to be holding a leash to a pet monkey. In front of these two figures near the other side of the painting is a black dog and three individuals. One man is laying back on his elbows, a woman is seated and to her right is a seated man with a top hat. Also sitting in the green grass further back in the scene is a girl and a woman. There are very tall trees behind the predominant standing figures and many people throughout the sand looking grass. on the lake there are three various types of boats. This picture, like that of Gauguins, is very busy and has a lot going on. It will go nicely with the other post-impressionist paintings in the conference room and also be a discussion piece. I also chose these three pictures for the conference room because many people in meetings tend to have their minds wander and these paintings will be a great focus for them. Not that this is recommended, but it is human nature.
I think the office will look like a masterpiece with these six paintings. It will present class, style and sophistication as well as provide thought and conversation in visitors.
References
(2009). Retrieved from Vincent Van Gogh: http://www.vangogh.net/wheat-field-with-cypresses.jsp
Georges Seurat. (2016). Retrieved from The Art Story: http://www.theartstory.org/artist-seurat-georges.htm
The Impressionism Seen Through 50 Paintings. (2016). Retrieved from The art wolf: http://www.theartwolf.com/articles/50-impressionist-paintings.htm
