EDITOR’S NOTE
Dear Reader, The Impressionist art movement took place at a time of political change and unrest. It was mid-nineteenth-century France, a war was in progress, and the Académie des Beaux-Arts was adhering to the standard of religious themes, portraits, and historical subjects. That is, until a handful of art students shook up everything by painting still lifes, landscapes, and everyday objects in a totally new, looser style. This new approach caused all sorts of strong reactions, both positive and negative, and eventually became one of the most significant art movements to date. That’s generally the way art goes, no? Things are done the same way for a long time, shifting slowly as people learn from the great masters while trying to develop their own style, and then, unexpectedly, something comes along that…
