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The word &lsquo\;Impressionism&rsquo\; continues to strike a chord with art enthusiasts\, even decades after the last impressionist painting was created. Its use of color and creative treatment of atmosphere and form seems to appeal\, even to those who don&rsquo\;t follow the ups and downs of the art world. What few have a full appreciation for is the unusual and surprising ways in which impressionist techniques gained a foothold in France\, and how that message was carried back to the U.S. in the earliest years of the 20th century. This lecture will examine the global dynamics that unfolded in the mid-1800s\, impacting on artistic styling in France\; and\, by extension\, how those &ldquo\;new ways of seeing&rdquo\; were eventually exported to America&mdash\;and Connecticut in particular.
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\nOur speaker\, Richard Friswell\, is a cultural historian and associate director of the Wesleyan Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL) program. He is publisher and managing editor of ARTES magazine\, a fine arts publication. He is an elected member of the International Art Critics Association\, and author of a collection of autobiographical short stories\, &ldquo\;Balancing Act: Postcards from the Edge of Risk and Reward&rdquo\;. Friswell lectures and speaks widely on topics of modernism\, its art\, literature\, and history. His M.Ed. is from Boston University\, and his M.Phil. is from Wesleyan University.
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