Capturing the Impression, Gaston la Touche.

It was not long ago that I came upon this painting by Gaston la Touche entitled Pardon in Brittany which is about a regularly held festival honoring a saint, this picture taking place in northern France.

The subject matter really isn't my concern here, but looking into Gaston's history and how he came about painting the subjects he did, and his relationship with Manet, is extremely interesting, and worthy if its own post.

As a Post Impressionist I find him of a higher caliber than most who carry that label. Earlier last year I stumbled upon this painting, and every time I've been back to the Art Institute of Chicago it's been to see this picture. I make sure its the last one I look at before I leave.

I've always thought it a much harder task for a painter to capture the impression of something than it is to just render it. Rendering has its difficulties, ones that I admire when done well, but personally if you can trick the viewer into seeing detail where there's just a blob of paint upon closer inspection, I have nothing but respect for you.

This painting is exactly that. Pardon in Brittany from a distance is a beautifully soft scene capturing the meditation and quiet of a religious service in dying light. From afar you can make out some of the individuals who are moving along with the mass of them while holding candles. It's a luminous painting while still being low key, and through the style he painted it in, is also able to capture the movement of the masses of people as well.

On closer inspection the painting turns into globs and brushstrokes. He first painted thick passages with his brush and then went in and flattened certain sections with his palette knife, and left mainly the brush strokes that lead the eye to the right, flowing with the crowd. From a distance this is what gives the painting it's sense of movement.

Some of the tones are muddy, but work with the color range, the details are extremely subtle and most of them don't make sense up close. This painting truly captures a moment in time, with the only sharp lines being that of the woman on the horse, leading the procession and the eye along with the group.