Masterpieces at the Met: 19th Century Movements
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

The second half of the 19th century in the U.S. and Europe was positively awash in new art movements. Some - such as Impressionism - remain immensely popular today. Others-the Aesthetic Movement in England and the Ashcan School in the U.S.-while remembered as important and influential for future artists, get less attention. This three-session class will look at a few of these movements and contrast them with each other, using works from the Metropolitan Museum's vast collections. We will look at a limited number of works closely and discuss the paintings themselves and what their audience thought about them when they were first shown, as well as the way they are perceived today. And we will talk about the social and economic conditions in which they emerged.