The Industrial Revolution drastically transformed the appearance of both city and countryside, yielding a new kind of landscape, both picturesque and poignant.

Art historian Brenda Edgar will begin with the first industrial landscape paintings, by English Enlightenment painters like Joseph Wright of Derby. You’ll see how the new lay of the land appealed to the sublime sensibilities of Romantics like JMW Turner, and sparked criticism and rebellion among Realists like Honore Daumier. The Impressionists, better known for their happy revelers and bucolic haystacks, also turned their attention to factory smokestacks and train stations; Claude Monet especially enjoyed the challenge of painting smog.

Then you’ll follow the thread as it stayed relevant throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Along the way, you’ll see the Industrial Age in all its promise, peril, and power. This program is intended for adults.

Join us for our “Art History Illustrated” talk series, held the third Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. This monthly illustrated talk series is presented by art historian Brenda Edgar, in collaboration with The Floyd County Carnegie Library Cultural Arts Center.

Image: Philip James de Loutherbourg, Coalbrookdale by Night, 1801, Science Museum, London.