WINSLOW HOMER (American, 1836-1910)

Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1836, Winslow Homer’s artistic career began as a printmaker in the 1850s. In the 1870s, Homer turned to painting, as he depicted idyllic images nostalgic of the past. In 1873, he began to experiment seriously with watercolour, a medium in which he would become perhaps the greatest American master. His lush watercolours portray heroic fishermen, majestic seascapes, tropical settings, and mountain wilderness. Perhaps one of the most original American painters of his time, Winslow Homer and his work draw an admiring crowd to the Museum’s American Paintings galleries every year.

EDWARD HOPPER (American, 1882-1967)

Having studied painting in New York, young Edward Hopper spent several years in Europe before focusing on a realist style based upon everyday life in America. His works depict wistful images of lonely figures, and vacant urban and seashore scenes that evoke a sense of melancholy. Countered by contrasting areas of light and warmth, however, these works reveal a delicate balance, placing the viewer at a calm and tranquil stance.

GUSTAV KLIMT (Austrian, 1862-1918)

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter and a key figure in the Vienna Secession movement. He is best known for his ornate, decorative style, often featuring gold leaf, intricate patterns, and sensual themes. His most famous works include The Kiss (1907–1908) and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907), both showcasing his signature golden aesthetic. Klimt’s art often explored themes of love, eroticism, and femininity, drawing inspiration from Byzantine mosaics, Japanese prints, and Art Nouveau. His “Golden Phase” produced some of his most celebrated works, characterized by lavish use of gold and silver.

CLAUDE MONET (French, 1840-1926)

It was not until the 1890s that fin de siècle France began to praise the work of Parisian-born Claude Monet. Along with Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, and other like-minded artists who focused their work on the softening effects of sunlight, Monet had struggled to establish Impressionism, which slowly emerged as an avantgarde movement in the 1860s. Throughout his works, Monet depicts the subtle hues and gradations of colour with complete mastery. Our prints and posters represent a sampling of the extraordinary body of work Monet completed during his lifetime, works that the MFA proudly houses in its European Paintings collection.

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR (French, 1841-1919)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a founder of Impressionism, was born in Limoges to working-class parents. His education began at a free Catholic school in Paris, and at age 15, he began an apprenticeship with a porcelain painter. In 1862, he gained admission to the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied with and met many of his influential contemporaries, including Monet, Pissarro, and Cézanne. Renoir’s contribution to the Impressionist movement includes bright depictions of flowers and copious bouquets, a favourite subject of visitors who frequent paintings galleries every year at springtime.

JOHN SINGER SARGENT (American, 1856-1925)

Born and educated in Europe, John Singer Sargent was an American who never resided in the United States. A loyal American abroad, this “expatriate Impressionist” achieved early recognition in the international arena, as his prodigious talent brought fame and fortune in juried exhibitions. His glamorous portraits of high society may be considered by some as defining works, however, Sargent’s use of a complex assimilation of various techniques show his gifted mastery of landscapes and the subtle abstractions of light.

VINCENT VAN GOGH (Dutch, 1853-1890)

A genius to some and a madman to others, Vincent van Gogh spent the final year of his life in Auvers-sur-Oise, a small village northwest of Paris. There, he painted feverishly to complete Houses at Auvers, which he worked on from a street near the home of his physician. This work was completed shortly before his death in 1890, when, tormented by mental illness, van Gogh shot himself at the age of thirty-seven. In his short life, van Gogh developed an inimitable style which created a lasting impact on twentieth century art.