French painting of the 19th century: opening up to the world

Master class on Géricault, Delacroix, Manet and Toulouse-Lautrec: four chronological sessions and one Harvard Museum visit to better understand 19th century French painting.

In the 19th century, France was living an era of profound political and social changes. Learn why the paintings exhibited in Parisian salons had a considerable impact on the French imagination. This class will help you understand how these changes brought France into the modern era.

Tuesday, January 10 from 6.30pm to 8pm: Géricault, the rise of romanticism. We will study Géricault's most famous paintings, such as The Rift of the Medusa, and see how travels influenced a new generation.

Tuesday, January 17 from 6.30pm to 8pm: Delacroix, romanticism in full bloom, or the fiery painting of the human heart. We will see how Delacroix describes universal passions with real or inner fights. 

Tuesday, January 24 from 6.30pm to 8pm: Manet, the first modern painter? With his paintings reflecting the society of his time, Manet reverses the representation of the world and enters fully into the modern era.

Tuesday, January 31 from 6.30pm to 8pm: Toulouse-Lautrec, the draftsman. With his portraits of Paris’s lower class, Toulouse-Lautrec invites the whole world to visit the French capital, the city of Arts.

The last session will be a FOGG Museum visit on Saturday, February 4 at 10am