Painter Frédéric Bazille is not an impressionist household name in comparison to luminaries like Degas, Gaugin, Monet, and Manet, but longtime art connoisseurs know that he was part of the original group of artists within the movement and that he participated in the first of eight exhibitions as a founding member. Bazille had close ties to his fellow artists and even shared studio space with Renoir. His artistic output and influence, however, were severely limited due to his untimely death during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. He was only 29 when he perished on the battlefield.
Two of his paintings speak to me.
Continue Reading “Reflecting on Frédéric Bazille’s Art and Legacy”