Second episode of this wonderful documentary covers the beauty and hardship of painting outdoors. When we see those beautiful landscape paintings, it doesn't occur to us that they were hard and difficult to paint. Standing and working for hours in weather conditions like heat, cold, snow, or rain sure have been difficult and exhausting for painters.
Monet painted water. It was his main obsession, and he painted it from every angle. The problem with water is that it constantly changes. It is never the same.
So, he constructed a special boat, to be on the water while painting it. Manet painted Monet on this floating studio.
Author describes the way the painters were dressed at that time, when painting outdoors. They used dark clothes, not to throw reflection from the clothes to the canvas. Also, they had to protect (themselves and) the paint from direct sunlight, so they were wearing hats. Fully equipped artist. Also, they had to take into the account that when you paint in the direct sunlight, the painting will look different when you take it home. It is certainly darker.
Renoir went to paint the hustle and bustle of modern life. He had a garden behind his studio in Paris, where he painted models. His grand scale painting "Bal du moulin de la Galette" was introduced in the impressionist exhibition of 1877. It perfectly captures joie de vivre, but also gives us the snapshot of that particular period in that particular place. This Impressionism' masterpiece perfectly captures the late 19 century working class having fun, drinking, relaxing and dancing in their free time, in the Moulin de la Galette. It was something more, it was a statement of the social changes. New working class, working girls and chaps with attitude are the future.
How was it possible for Renoir to capture the light, the shadows and affects that light produces? Because shadows, like the water surface, changes quickly. He had to paint quickly. He also had to use the right tools-new type of brush- the brush made of coarse pig hair. By that time, the brushes were made of Kolinsky sable/weasel hair, which are of fine texture and usually in round shape. With innovation of new flat brushes, made out of pig hair, everything changed. This gave the painting a new language.
So those painters in the late 19century France finally realized that the modern world is also a fit subject for art. That the art is not reserved only for painting kings and queens, but also for middle class, the working people, and everyday life.
Landscape covered in snow is one of the most beautiful subjects in art. On snow, the shadows have different colours, depending on the colour of light, which some of the impressionists captured in in detail. The author demonstrates this effect in situ, on the snow, and show us what it's all about.
Also, in the last part of this episode, he mentions Paul Cezanne, and his transformation from the dark-coloured beginnings to the painter of light colours, as he transited to be the landscape painter, and painter of still life.