Brushstrokes of change

An exhibition at the National Gallery Singapore showcases over 100 Impressionist masterpieces by artists like Monet and Degas

- STORY: SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

Iconic works of Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas and Berthe Morisot are recognised by people around the world. The exhibition “Into The Modern: Impressionism From The Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston”, organised by the National Gallery Singapore, is a great opportunity for art enthusiasts in Asia to view works of these artists.

Developed jointly by the National Gallery Singapore and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition displays more than 100 artworks by 25 of the movement's key artists, including 17 paintings by Claude Monet. On loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition, which is one of the largest and most comprehensive of Impressionist art outside France, is curated in partnership between Julia Welch and Katie Hanson of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Phoebe Scott, Alexis Chen and Celine Ho of the National Gallery Singapore.

The exhibition is divided into seven sections — Seeking The Open Air; Plein Air Impressionism; Labour And Leisure On The Water; Shared Ambitions; Modern Encounters; Reimagining The Commonplace; and Monet - Moment And Memory.

Scott, a senior curator, begins the first section, Seeking The Open Air, by raising the question: “Why should we be looking at this art in Singapore now?” Scott linked the Impressionist era to a social movement and modernity.