Reflections on Lasting Impression
Boston has been a center for the collecting and appreciation of Monet’s paintings since the late 19th century. We’ve discussed Boston’s history with Monet a bit before and it bears bringing up again because of the Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibit, Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression. It’s the 150th year for the MFA and this exhibit was planned to celebrate that milestone. It was delayed for the pandemic, and the museum is, as of this writing, closed. At the moment, the exhibit ends on February 28, 2021, which is very soon.
Boston in the 19th Century
The history of Boston and Monet is fascinating because it was, as we’ve touched on before , a very brief moment when Boston exuberantly embraced contemporary art. Because Monet is so completely enmeshed in the canon of art history, it may be a little difficult to see him as the revolutionary he really was. According to MFA Curator Katie Hanson, “Monet was a Molotov cocktail of unrestrained, intuitive innovation, whose explosion of color and exuberant brushwork made a clean break with everything that came before.”1 He almost single-handedly changed everything about art in a very short period of time and became one of the most successful artists to ever live. This achievement is unmatched in art history. And his art was not remotely universally liked. The people who sniff at contemporary art now have always existed. And historically, a lot of those people lived in Boston. The fact that Boston loved and still loves Monet is astounding, but the more astounding thing is that Monet believed in the future of art, he innovated until he could no longer make art, he embraced new things, and Boston, despite the fact that they loved Monet, could not follow him to the next artistic movement.
Boston and Monet: Lasting Impression
This exhibit harnesses the revolutionary side of Monet and shows 41 of his pieces, including the MFA’s entire collection. It has been 25 years since the entire collection has been shown, so it’s very fitting for the 150th. Matthew Teitelbaum ties Monet into the fabric of the museum, saying, “We began collecting Monet’s work in his lifetime and this commitment continues to this day. The MFA is a living museum, constantly connecting the past to the present.”2 The exhibit also makes a point to show the private collectors who bought Monet’s paintings during his lifetime. The exhibit is not just a history of
the MFA or Boston, but also the individual people who made up the avant-garde collectors in this historically puritanical city.
Covid-19 Concerns
The pandemic has been a major issue for this exhibit. First delayed in April and now until the museum reopens again, it may seem difficult if not impossible to go see the Monet paintings. When the museum is open, they use timed tickets, which are frequently sold out. And with such a brief run, it seems that many people will not be able to go, myself included. However, the museum has managed to innovate during these difficult times. The website has many interesting options for people who cannot or will not go to the museum in person. There is contemporaneous music from Monet’s time along with fun Zoom backgrounds so you can pretend to be in Giverny instead of in a meeting.
Monet the Revolutionary
Of the two exhibits currently at the MFA, I was much more excited about the Basquiat exhibit and I still hope to go once the museum reopens. Basquiat’s art is unlike what Boston normally gets excited about in that it’s brash and expressive and not based on Eurocentric art history. The museum collaborated with musicians and contemporary artists and ever since it was announced, I’ve been itching to go because it felt so thoroughly cool. The Monet exhibit, by contrast, felt to me to be the safe option. Those who were unwilling to view the Basquiat exhibit could find refuge in the soothing colors of Monet. And I think there is still some truth to that, but that is not the point that Teitelbaum and Katie Hanson, and others at the museum are trying to make. Monet was as revolutionary in his time as Basquiat was in his. They received the same sorts of criticism from people who couldn’t see the genius of their art. Their lives and careers were very different, but the museum is saying that it embraces this artistic revolution in all its forms. Combined with the recent acquisition of contemporary art , the MFA is doing something very exciting here and boldly going into the future. I am very excited to see where they go next.
Have you been to the MFA’s Monet exhibit? What are your thoughts? Share in the comments!
- “Murray Whyte Globe Staff et al., “MFA’s Monet Show Is the Escape Everyone Needs Right Now – The Boston Globe,” BostonGlobe.com, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/11/12/arts/mfas-monet-show-is-escape-everyone-needs-right-now/.”
- ” MFA Boston Offers Once-in-a-Generation Chance to See Entire Collection of 35 Paintings by Monet,” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, accessed January 12, 2021, https://www.mfa.org/press-release/monet-and-boston-lasting-impression.”