LAUSANNE.- The Fondation de l’Hermitage is hosting the second instalment of an international touring exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, in collaboration with the Kunsthalle, Munich and Musée Fabre, Montpellier. The first of its kind, Canada and Impressionism: New Horizons showcases major Canadian artists who adopted Impressionism while in France at the turn of the 20th century and transplanted the movement to Canadian soil.

This unprecedented exhibition highlights two generations of Canadian painters who actively contributed to the global spread of Impressionism, yet who have often remained unknown outside their home country. While studying in France and travelling throughout Europe, these artists were struck by the revolution led by Monet, Renoir and Pissarro. Like them, the Canadians sought to capture fleeting atmospheric effects and impressions of modern life. Upon their return to Canada, they adopted an innovative approach to depicting the landscapes and the incomparable light of their home country.

A LITTLE-KNOWN CHAPTER IN THE IMPRESSIONIST STORY
Canada and Impressionism: New Horizons comprises around 100 works painted by some 35 Canadian artists across five decades. On loan from major institutions, primarily in Canada, and private collections, these paintings are seldom seen in Europe. The exhibition is arranged in eight sections that follow the artists’ development, from their early engagement with Impressionism to their reinterpretation of the movement as part of an emerging Canadian avant-garde. The sections are themed as follows: On the Road to Impressionism: Canadian Artists Abroad; Impressions of France: Canadians in the Countryside; Canadian Artists at the Water’s Edge; New Horizons: Canadian Artists Beyond France; Youth and Sunlight: Reflections of Childhood; Quiet Pursuits: Canadian Impressionists and the “New Woman”; A Journey Home: Canadian Impressionists Return; Painting Canada: From Impressionism to Modernism.