Edinburgh Impressions

This morning I visited Dean Art Gallery with a friend ( or the Scottish Museum of Modern Art Two as we are now supposed to call it ) to view the Exhibition of American Impressionists. As we were passing through the first floor Gallery over the Great Hall were the Paolozzi sculpture dominates, we happened to look out of the windows to see what one call only call an impressionist view of Edinburgh as we were looking through a blind at the buildings and skyscape beyond - a slightly fuzzy impression but undeniably Edinburgh.

Whjlst the worst excesses of impressionism can lead to chocolate boxy images there was one painting that stood out for me, it was an urban scene in Paris where the artist, Childe Haassam, I think had created a marvellous recessive streetscape. The intermingling of the pedestrians was so recognisable and alive that one instantly recognised it and yet seen in detail the paint strokes were quite chaotic and complex.