Pollution influenced Impressionism

Meteorology and art history have no apparent connection. However, the work of dynamic weather researchers has helped to explain, at least in part, something that was very much in evidence in the Impressionist painters Turner and Monet. Early in their careers, they tended to paint details over long distances. At the same time, however, as the Industrial Revolution was taking hold and releasing pollution, their works were destined to become more vaporous.

During this period, factories expelled a great deal of sulfur dioxide through the burning of coal, creating a haze over London or Paris on certain days. As a result, researchers believe this influenced painters' styles, as their representation of the world changed at the same time. Some might speculate that the two artists' visual acuity diminished as they aged. However, paintings produced in the same periods outside urban environments still had very clear details. What's more, if Monet did indeed suffer from cataracts, they were diagnosed and treated seven years after his trip to London.

Consequently, the Impressionists would have been affected by the growing pollution of the Industrial Revolution. Nevertheless, we shouldn't think that they complained about it. A letter from Monet to his wife explains his discouragement at the fact that there had been little or no mist over the English capital in the preceding days, discouraging him from painting. This reality was even a source of inspiration for artists, who in this way reproduced the air of the times.

Running time: 4 minutes