Capri 1890

Theodore Robinson painted this view of Capri during a trip to Italy in the late 1880s or early 90s, using oil on canvas. In its time, painting 'en plein air', or outdoors, was still a relatively new practice. The flattened picture plane, high vantage point and loose brushstrokes, all reflect the influence of Impressionism. This was a style developed in France, but which quickly became an international language for artists interested in modern life and the changing experience of perception. Robinson had spent time in France and he was instrumental in introducing Impressionism to American audiences. Though it looks conventional to us today, painting like this was once considered avant-garde because it challenged the established academic style taught in art schools. Historians use artists' letters and diaries, exhibition reviews and collectors' records to learn more about the social context in which paintings like this were first seen.