Post 5: Impressionism (Lina)

 Chapter 8 Quotes and Responses

Quote 1:
“The Pavilion was not a true exhibit of women’s art,” declared Elizabeth Cady Stanton, because it did not include samples of objects made by women in factories owned by men.

This quote exposes how women’s creative labor was often minimized or excluded from official recognition. Even when women produced art or goods in professional settings, their work was not valued equally or publicly acknowledged, reinforcing gendered divisions in the art world.
Quote 2:
“Critics were quick to challenge the displays for their lack of ‘quality’ and women once again found themselves confronting universalizing definitions of ‘women’s’ production in a gender-segregated world.”

Chadwick shows how women’s art was judged by biased standards that dismissed it as inherently inferior. These critiques reveal how institutional and cultural structures worked to confine women’s artistic identity within limiting stereotypes rather than judging their work on merit.
Five Characteristics of Impressionism
• Loose, visible brushstrokes.
• Focus on light and its changing effects.
• Use of pure color and optical blending.
• Everyday, modern subjects (urban life, leisure, domestic scenes).
• Painting outdoors (plein air) to capture natural light and atmosphere.

Berthe Morisot
• Subjects: Domestic interiors, women and children, family life, and garden scenes.
• Applied Impressionist Traits:
• Used quick, light brushwork and bright color to capture fleeting light and mood.
• Painted intimate domestic subjects with the same sensitivity to light as her male peers painting outdoor scenes.
Mary Cassatt
• Subjects: Motherhood, female relationships, and domestic interiors.
• Applied Impressionist Traits:
• Employed loose brushwork and subtle color harmonies to depict indoor lighting and reflection.
• Used modern composition and perspective (influenced by Japanese prints) to create immediacy and psychological depth.