Fall Into Impressionism

Ever chasing the moment, American Impressionists attuned their artworks to each season. After a muggy August spent by some painters in cooler climes like Maine, they flocked back to Connecticut as the weather cooled to paint outside in the drier air, particularly in locales like Old Lyme. Selected artworks from the permanent collection celebrate the appeal of fall to the Impressionists, whose flecks of pigment capture the textures and colors of autumn.

For artists including Fidelia Bridges, Charles Ebert, Frank Vincent DuMond, Breta Longacre, Willard Metcalf, and Theodore Robinson, fall presented the opportunity to contemplate nature in transition. They appreciated both the season’s exhilarating vibrance and its gradual evolution toward muted hues and contemplative moods. Brilliant leaves dazzled, then fell to reveal landscape forms that artists used to concentrate on the play of light and shadow before they were dusted with the first snow—a signal that sent painters back to city studios for the winter.

New England wears autumn like a crown, continuing to inspire artists, and all of us, today. Join us in celebrating the season as you take in the Museum’s gardens, grounds, and trails where artists flocked to paint fall’s colorful glory.