Impressionism in the Age of Industry
The late 19th century was a time of new technology, industry, and modernity. Fascinated by progress in every form, artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, and Camille Pissarro began to paint the world around them, from laundresses in the basements of Paris to rural labourers in fields. Impressionism in the Age of Industry focuses on how Impressionist artists engaged with and treated the topic of industry in their art: the transformation of Paris into a bustling, modern city, the role of women in labour, and the demographic shift from rural to urban centres. Paintings, drawings, and prints, along with archival photographs, illustrate this rich and complicated moment in art history.
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Caroline Shields is Curator, European Art at the AGO. Prior to joining the AGO in 2017, she held various curatorial roles at the National Gallery of Art, Washington; the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She holds a Doctorate in art history from the University of Maryland with a dissertation on Paul Gauguin and the history of memory.
