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Viva la France! Celebrating Bastille Day with Art

Bastille Day, celebrated on July 14, is the national day of France celebrated around the world. It is the day the people of France stormed the Bastille during the French Revolution. Since France has made so many contributions to the world of art, we here at overstockArt.com thought you might enjoy celebrating by buying a reproduction of one of their masterpieces. Here are some of our favorite pieces by French Artists that helped shape art world history.

Claude Monet-Artist’s Garden at Giverny

Considered the founder of French Impressionist paintings, Claude Monet used his unmatched skills to elevate nature scenes to a new level in Artist’s Garden at Giverny. The hazy view of this garden is filled with rich textures and blurred lines, but the colors are still as lush and vivid as if you were viewing the flowers in person.

Paul Cezanne-Dahlias

Though he was better known as a Post-Impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne began his career by creating more traditional Impressionist pieces. Dahlias is an excellent example of the way in which Cezanne was influenced by Impressionist techniques. This piece is striking in its simplicity at first glance, yet it also has an incredible level of detail when viewed more closely.

Edgar Degas-Dancers in Pink

There’s something so alluring about ballerinas, which must be why Edgar Degas couldn’t stop painting them and in Dancers in Pink, Degas tackles his favorite subject with bold colors and close-up figures. Once you take a closer look, however, you can see the influence of Impressionism in the background, which Degas created with tapped brush strokes and moody, darker tones.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir-The Seine at Chatou

Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted The Seine at Chatou, a radiant landscape of the Seine, with carefully differentiated brushwork. Long, feathery strokes of the waving grasses make their way into small, thick touches for the flowering trees. The Maison Fournaise was a favorite spot of Renoir’s in Chatou and he visited there while he was painting the scene.

Paul Gauguin-Road in Tahiti

Road to Tahiti is one of the most captivating paintings by Paul Gaugin, a French artist who was one of the most influential figures in the Post-Impressionist movement. His use of bold, vibrant colors and blurred brush strokes in this painting brings the scene to life with immediacy and movement.

Henri Rousseau-The Sleeping Gypsy

As a French Post-Impressionist painter, Henri Julien Felix Rousseau was able to capture something so forward-thinking that it wasn’t even appreciated during his lifetime. His The Sleeping Gypsy is a wonderful example of the way in which he depicted familiar scenes in a unique and striking way. His use of simple shapes and exaggerated lines give him clear ties to movements like Cubism and Surrealism.

This is only a small sample of the amazing artist’s that have called France home. As you browse our Bestsellers gallery you will be amazed at how many of them have an origin in that beautiful country. Celebrate Bastille day by purchasing a French masterpiece of you own today.