by I think it goes without saying at this point that a museum with an Impressionism exhibit has got my number. The exhibit at the Reading Public Museum was focused only on American artists, but still had some of my favorites, such as John Singer Sargent and Childe Hassam. It also featured a number of artists I didn’t know, but whose work I enjoyed nonetheless.
The show examines plein air landscapes (or plein air-inspired works) that capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere in all four seasons, and paintings set in everyday interiors—many featuring thoroughly modern women in contemplation, reading, writing, engaging in needlework, drinking, or dressing.
The cover photo is The Villa in Florence (Italian Sunlight and Shadow), William Merritt Chase, c. 1909.
