Dissolving into Light

Dissolving into Light, and its representation, has always been a central concern for artists. This lecture considers the treatment of light in the late 19th century. The Impressionists, who were fascinated by visible phenomena, investigated the ways in which light shifts in colour and intensity from moment to moment, and its effect on the appearance of objects, figures, and landscapes. Most important of all, they wanted to work out how they as artists might communicate the perception of light in an oil painting. Their experiments would be the starting point for an increasingly systematic study of light in nature, which ultimately revolutionized modern art across Europe and beyond. Kathleen McLauchlan is a lecturer specialising in 19th-century art history and currently a course director at the Victoria & Albert Museum organising courses and study days on the history of art and design. Kathleen teaches at several institutions, including Art Pursuits. She is a graduate of Oxford University and the Courtauld Institute with a PhD on French 19th-century painters in Rome.