Intimate Impressionism at the McNay

MellonFamilyThe Impressionist exhibit at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio is on loan from the National Gallery in Washington DC.  It is arguably one of the finest and most deeply personal collections of Impressionist and Post Impressionist art in the world.  Ailsa Mellon and her brother Paul (pictured above) spent many years crafting a selection of smaller paintings meant to convey a more intimate glimpse into the life and times of a generation of artists that changed the way we see  and hear the world. These pretty pictures cannot capture the feeling and the character of the paintings.  We will all experience them differently and feel drawn to the vision of each artist in our own way. For example, I would not have expected Lautrec’s small painting of Carmen Gaudin to be so compelling, so imbued with her presence.  To feel inexplicably moved or to step into a moment when time stands still – this is the felt experience of art.

It is so inspiring to resonate with a vision that changes the way you see the world.  I highly recommend seeing the show for yourself, but make haste. This exhibit ends on January 4th.