October 5th, 1897
Dear John,
How are you my good friend? We have not seen each other since what feels like the beginning of time. I blame this on the huge body of water that separates us! It is a beautiful day in Paris, but to me, whether rain or snow, sleet or hail, Paris, in all its forms, is a beauty like no other. That’s why it makes perfect sense to me that the Impressionist Art movement began here, in a beautiful city where artists flock to paint the gorgeous landscapes, architecture, and women.
I am sorry to inform you that I have been rejected by both Le Salon and L’academie des Beaux Arts, prestigious Parisian art schools. I wish I could say that I was surprised, but this is not the first instance of this occurring. As with any and all art schools, you must submit a portfolio of your work. It is just like submitting an academic report card to an academic institution: it reveals your past and your potential for growth. Art schools have begun rejecting Impressionist artists, as demonstrated by my portfolio containing some of my Impressionist paintings.
Art is constantly changing to reflect the changing minds of the people who house it. Before, linear perspective and depth and shadow were all imperative to fine art. The most stressed aspect of art was accuracy. Everything had to be accurate and reflect the scientific thinking of the day. But what if, what if, art didn’t have to be scientific? What if I could capture what my eye sees as I rotate my head instead of looking at something straight on? What if I could capture movement with individual brush strokes? What if, with one of my paintings, I could capture the perpetuality of time? Wouldn’t that be just as wondrous as all of the paintings of the Renaissance? In my next painting, I plan to capture the movement of Paris. The hustle of the city center, the strolls down Champs Elysee, a true painting of Paris! However, there are many here who are against this change in thought. Le Salon is provoked by Impressionist painting. The color palette combined with the brush stroke technique make the painting seem cursory and simple according to its critics. It is absolute insanity! Linear perspective is not always necessary, especially not when I’m capturing movement, which is the whole point of this artistic movement. Nevertheless, I can’t change the minds of those who rejected me from the schools, so the most I can do is promote my own painting and the movement.
If you came to visit, you would love the new Paris. All of Europe used to be crowded, narrow cobblestone streets, but now, we are a metropolis. Paris is different. Like fashion and all things, soon the rest of Europe will surely follow, but you are in the United States, so it’s a whole different setting over there. Civic planner, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, is renovating the city. He’s opening up the streets so that sunlight pours in. The new streets are lined left and right with beautiful draping trees. Brightly-colored train stations hold so much movement; I itch to paint them right away. The new Paris harbors this movement waiting to be captured in song, dance, and art.
If you can get your hands on a copy of Claude Monet’s, Vetheuil in the Fog, it is a magnificent painting and clearly depicts the complexity of impressionist painting. Within the painting, you see what appears to be a castle captured in the fog. There is movement in the body of water right before the fog. His choice of dull greens and blues contribute to the hazy mood. It is not a crystal clear painting of Vetheuil, but it gives you the mood of the town in a way that a Renaissance painting could not. I feel that you would appreciate Impressionist paintings just as much as I do.
Veuillez agreer Monsieur, mes salutations distinguees,
Jean Paul
