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When faced with the trials and tribulations of life, people create art. Artists who arise from these dire, hopeless situations often create works that reflect the darkness of the world.

But then there are those who dare to hope.

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Claude Monet, Impression Sunrise, France, 1872, Oil on canvas, 18.9 in x 24.8 in (48 cm x 63 cm), Musée Marmottan Monet

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This series of pieces is a reflection of those who found solace not in the present reality, but in the way reality could be: in the optimistic, in the possibility, and by creating silver linings of their own.

While artists such as the ones we will look at today exist all over the world, this exhibit will specifically focus on the French contributions. As we travel through time, we will gain a new perspective of the dreamers and romantics who found the magic in the every day to be a reassuring and gentle hope in troubled times. We will set our scene with the spritely artists of the Rococo and their patrons, who, despite their extravagance, found the everyday scenes to be the most beautiful. Moving to more personal stories we will admire the sunsets of Claude Monet and sit with Henri Matisse to discuss his armchair art. Finally we will see present-day Paris presented by Guillaume Chansarel and perhaps learn to see and appreciate the magic of simply being in the places we call home.

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What social, cultural, and political changes were critical to the development of this theme in French art?

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What is the connection between artist and personal experience in these works?

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Henri Matisse, Interior with an Etruscan Vase (Intérieur au vase étrusque), 1940, France, Oil on canvas, 29 x 42 1/2 in. (73.7 x 108 cm), Cleveland Museum of Art

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What visual aspects of these paintings manifest universal relatability and vague feelings of nostalgia despite the scenes being imaginary, unrealistic, or idealized?

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Guillaume Chansarel, Beacon, Paris, France, 2024, Ink and acrylic on old book pages mounted on canvas, 28.74 in. x 39.37 in. (73 cm x 100 cm)

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This oil painting is of a soft and lovely sunrise over the Port of Le Havre in northwestern France. Monet's soft brushwork and high-contrast colors give the scene an ethereal, dream-like quality. Here, Monet does not see a filthy shoreline or the polluting smoke of machines, but a sunrise over his home, a new and beautiful day waiting to be lived and seen.

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Matisse, a painter during WWII, famously claimed his work should not dwell on the nasty parts of the world but should instead be an armchair for the viewer, a comfort and relief from troubles. In this painting, Matisse presents a bright, cheery home inhabited by a smiling woman and her collection of antiques, art, and plants. A sharp contrast to the harsh reality of war, this painting provides us a quiet moment of rest.

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Gabriel Huquier, The First Guard, 1754, France, Etching, 12 3/4 in. x 8 3/16 in.(32.4 cm x 20.8 cm), Cleveland Museum of Art