Erin Hanson Retraces the Steps of the Masters of Impressionism

“Parc Monceau”

It is not uncommon for art lovers to travel the world to see their favorite paintings up and close. Surely, studying the brushstrokes of the masters and how light bounces off a large canvas is something that a photograph can't capture. Others, like artist Erin Hanson, also chose to retrace the steps of the masters, visiting places in France that inspired figures such as Monet and Van Gogh. By exploring these places through the eye of an artist, Hanson created her own vision in her signature visual language.

The result is a series titled Reflections of the Seine: Inspirations from France. In it, Hanson, who is known for creating the concept of Open Impressionism and regarded as a modern Van Gogh herself, paints a love letter to her earliest influences. With this, the artist builds a bridge between past and present, as if having a conversation with the pioneers of impressionism. We talked to Hanson about this creative experience. Read My Modern Met's exclusive interview below.

“Monet's Lilies”

What inspired you to go on this trip?

Ever since I saw Monet’s Haystacks and van Gogh’s Irises in a museum as a child, I have wanted to visit France and see the places where Monet and van Gogh painted.

“Sunset at Etretat”

“Aix en Provence”

How did you plan which places to visit?

I researched the locations of every Impressionist painting I loved and found out where they were painted. Then, I planned a river cruise along the Seine, followed by a week-long photo safari through France. I visited as many locations as I could fit into two weeks, which was quite a lot! I also visited several art museums in Paris and saw many impressionist paintings in person for the first time.

Is this the first time you visited these places that inspired the masters?

Yes, this was my first visit to France.

“Bordeaux Vineyard”

“Impressions of France”

What did you feel upon seeing all these places?

It often felt like I was walking into a canvas that had been painted 100 years ago… the quiet pond at Parc Monceau, with its ancient colonnade and weeping willows… Monet’s garden full of blooming water lilies…. the Medieval cathedral at Rouen… blue and green reflections along the Seine… it all felt like seeing the Impressionist paintings come to life in front of my eyes. It was also eerie to stand next to the very bed Van Gogh slept in and Monet’s bed as well. I kept saying to myself—I am standing in the very spot these past masters stood in every morning for years….

“Monet's Garden II”

“Monet's Lilies II”

Was your creative process to create this collection different from your previous work?

Yes, I don’t normally emulate other artists when I paint, but after seeing so many of Monet’s water lily paintings, I decided to try to paint water the way he did, with long squiggly lines for the weeping willow reflections, and loose swirls of paint where the lily pads were. I painted a series of water lily paintings in homage to Monet when I returned to my studio.

“Seine Reflections”

“Valensole Lavender Fields”

As an artist, what's the difference between studying a painter's work in museums and going straight to the places they depicted?

It was interesting seeing how the actual landscapes affected the way the Impressionists painted. For example, I saw mostly blues and greens in the landscape during the month of June, and then I saw this light captured in many oil paintings created in the 1800’s.

It was also startling to recognize that the wiggly lines in Monet’s water lily paintings weren’t ripples but an accurate depiction of what weeping willows look like reflected upside down in water! The magic light of the golden hour in France is amazing, and I saw the past masters capturing the same colors I was seeing during the long golden hours in June, when the sun rises at 5 am and doesn’t set until 10 pm.

“Sunflowers in Provence”

“Sunflower Dawn”

Was there a particular sight that moved you as an artist?

There were many… I think one of my favorites, just because I had searched for it for so long, was a blooming field of sunflowers in Provence, near van Gogh’s haunts. It was a little early for sunflowers, and I spent two days driving through field after field of lavender, hoping to see the burst of yellow from blooming sunflowers. Some ladies I met in a restaurant gave me the GPS location of some sunflowers they had seen, and the next morning, I set out before dawn, hoping to find them.

I drove to the exact location, but again, no sunflowers, only fields of lavender. I kept driving, my head panning back and forth, searching… when all of a sudden, just as the sun peeked over the horizon, I came across a magnificent, blooming field of sunflowers. I pulled over and joyfully spent the next hour walking through the field and taking reference photos. The painting Sunflowers in Provence was one of the first paintings I created upon returning to my studio.

What do you hope people will take away from this collection?
I hope viewers will re-experience their love for Impressionism by seeing my modern take on these classic locations. I want to raise people’s spirits, wash away the ordinary day, and see something truly beautiful that they can take home with them and hang on their walls.

Erin Hanson: Website | Instagram