Experiencing Art’s Master’s

Last Sunday my wife and I toured Nashville’s Frist Center for the Visual Arts. I came away inspired, excited and downright humbled as we walked through the galleries and saw the current Monet to Dali exhibition. This wonderful display brings together more than 75 acclaimed European paintings and sculptures from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including works by Paul Cézanne, Salvador Dalí, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat, and Vincent Van Gogh. These works without question illuminate the spirit of innovation and creativity that marks one of the most extraordinary times in the history of art. We literally simply stood and stared in awe at these wonderful works.

What struck me, besides the art, was how these artists approached their craft. For example:

They embraced technology of the time. What makes many of their works incredible is that because of new technology (paint in an aluminum tube for the first time) they could actually paint outside for the first time. This allowed them to capture light in new and incredible ways.

They learned from each other. These tremendously talented people were not afraid to share ideas and learn from each other. They embraced mentoring.

They we’re not afraid to test new ideas. They set a new standard, they refused to show at the famous Paris Salons, they invented new techniques – they pushed the creative envelope.

To look at these works is truly inspiring and I hope that I can carry forward to my own life some of what these masters did in their creative lives.

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