Long Misty Days Corcoranís Exhibit Shows ëImpressionist Tradition in Americaí by Heather Nalbone No matter how many times we view them, they never get old. Those hazy, interpretive scenes whose formations rely more on the size of the paintbrush that created them than the actual settings on which they are based. The impressionist period is one that Westerners love to replicate, reproduce and showcase in homes and offices everywhere. Framed copies of the original 19th-century oil canvases hang over thousands of fireplaces and in millions of hallways. As a result, some of the misty landscapes and snow-filled forests that make up a large portion of the Corcoran Museum of Artís latest exhibitóìThe Impressionist Tradition in Americaîóare familiar to the many visitors who flood its galleries. Edgar Degasís famous ìsnapshotî of behind-the-scenes ballerinas is there, as is one of Pierre-August Renoirís inviting landscapes. These canvases and a few others crafted by French artists dominate the exhibitís front foyer because it was, after all, the French who introduced the impressionist era. The rest of the exhibitótaken from the museumís permanent collectionóconcentrates solely on American impressionism. Aside fr om a handful of paintings signed by artists such as James McNeil Whistler, the exhibit shows viewers how underrated many of these French paintersí lesser-known American contemporaries have become. Despite the economical scale of the exhibitóthere is no accompanying catalogueóthe chronologically arranged display is well worth the museumís $5 entrance fee. Many early 20th-century American impressionists have been lagging in recognition perhaps in part because the style took so long to catch on in the United States. Using light brush strokes to create misty, dreamlike renditions of bustling city streets and the lush countryside wasnít widespread in the United States until the early 1900s, roughly 40 years after a small group of French painters first broke from the dominant artistic tradition of their time. When impressionism finally did catch on in the United States, American painters flocked to rural and seaside towns. The ensuing love affair with nature is evident in paintings such as Edward Willis Redfieldís ìRoad to Lumberville.î Somewhere in between Claude Monetís splashy pastel landscapes and Renoirís shadowy reflections of people-filled parks, Redfieldís depiction of a horse-drawn carriage making its way through sparsely wooded mountains is a charming scene. Similarly, John Carlsonís misty portrayal of a snow-laden forest in ìWoods in Winterî is calming and serene. The exhibitís most renowned American addition is John Singer Sargent, whose cosmopolitan style is visible in all four of his paintings on display at the Corcoran. Most notable of these is ìMrs. Henry White,î a portrait created early on in the artistís career. Sargentís use of varying shades of white in the painting makes the gown of the American diplomatís wife shimmer iridescently. After Sargentís portraits, the exhibit takes a slightly different twist. It offers a rather broad interpretation of ìImpressionist Tradition in America,î stretching to include a few sculptures and a portrait inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, as well as a few darker paintings created by the featured artists later in their lives. George Bellowsís ìForty-Two Kidsîódisplayed in the exhibitís ìAfter Impressionismî sectionóis an eerily dark illustration of nude children frolicking and swimming around a boat dock. Nearby are paintings of mothers and wives in the midst of everyday domestic activities, from writing letters to sewing. The exhibit will remain on display until next year, when the paintings will rejoin the museumís permanent collection. ìThe Impressionist Tradition in Americaî runs through April 2004 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St., NW. For more information, please call (202) 639-1700 or visit www.corcoran.org. Heather Nalbone is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.