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Day 3 of this wonderful 5 day series will consider the development of English Gardens from the Renaissance gardens of Italy up to the present day, both their evolution, and also the way in which gardens have featured in art. Day 3 will be held in the Cerne Abbas Village Hall, Nr. Dorchester DT2 7GY
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Impressionists in their Gardens – living light and colour
A special interest day with Caroline Holmes exploring gardens through the senses of the Impressionists from three continents – Europe, North America and Australia - enjoying the essentially similar pleasures of the garden whilst engaging with the light from their skies in order to create very different sensations. The enclosure of the garden acts like a picture frame showcasing a living canvas that exudes the individuality, vision and taste of its tenants, their family, friends, lifestyles and, in the simple words of the greatest Impressionist and gardener Monet, providing motifs to paint. The day will be illustrated throughout with opportunities for questions and discussion. A small selection of books will be available for reference.
Introduction: Gardens of French impressionists from Argenteuil and Giverny to the South of France
Wherever Monet lived, he gardened and painted, these gardens offer the opportunity to view his horticultural excellence and that of Caillebotte. Through their paintings we will also examine the plants they grew and where they were sourced. Le Pressoir Monet’s final garden at Giverny encapsulates the notion of the impressionist garden’, he spent exactly half his life here from 1883- 1926. He also supplied plants to Pissarro for his gardens. We will explore French impressions under Mediterranean skies at Les Colettes, final home of Renoir. We will briefly examine the effects of World War One with special reference to Monet and Renoir.
Short coffee break
The garden as canvas - American Impressionists at home and away
The World’s Fair Centennial International Exhibition (1876) in Philadelphia inspired the quest for ‘olden tyme’ plants and poetry, magically created at Appledore by the poet Celia Thaxter and painted by Childe Hassam. In 1893 Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition which featured the murals Modern Woman by Mary Cassatt. Art colonies sprang up at Old Lyme and Cos Cob in Connecticut, John H. Twachtman created 17 acres of gardens near Greenwich, CT. Three generations of American artists including Frederick Frieseke, tired of narrow artistic traditions at home, sought the greater freedom of France and the comforts of the Hotel Baudy in Giverny. American Impressionists in Florence were attracted by the historic settings and easier social mores.
The Living Canvas - Australian impressionists – capturing the native landscape
Known as the Heidelberg School, they were trained by and followed influences from the Royal Academy School in London, Newlyn and the French Impressionists. We will follow the paintings of Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin and Charles Conder as their work evolved from the informal, evocative and naturalistic into a nationalistic expression. In 1901 McCubbin bought a cottage on Mount Macedon, northwest of Melbourne, which they named Fontainebleau, its surroundings became the inspiration for some of his best-known works. As Drawing Master at the National Gallery Art School in Melbourne, his gardens offered a camping ground for his myriad students not least Joan Lindsay of Picnic at Hanging Rock fame.
Cost: £38 to include buffet lunch
For all queries, please contact Christopher Clarke on wessexconnectedevents@gmail.com