What qualities interest art lovers in French Impressionistic paintings?
“Find things beautiful as much as you can. Most people find too little beautiful.” (Ingred Fetell Lee)
I enjoy observing French Impressionistic Art for several reasons. First of all, I’m “drawn” to those serene scenes of countryside France painted with lightly delicate brushwork exuding subtle displays of color, light and shadow. I also notice with positive interest how such secular settings depict late 19th century leisure time amid nature in a spiritually calming way. As a further source of motivation, Impressionism often sparks my travel interest to find unique spots to similarly escape into such a world of pastoral bliss.
So for this particular blog, I became inspired by artist Claude Monet’s painting completed in 1876 titled “Lake in Montgeron” as shown in the title photo above. For in the first two days of our current roadtrip north through Florida, I intently set out to find such potential Impressionistic looking places of nature that Monet might have painted from that era. Interestingly there seemed to be a definite contrast between the two locations I found. For at Wekiwa Springs State Park north of Orlando, it could easily be labeled as a bustling tourist attraction now while the second one, Lake Ella outside Tallahassee seemed to be a forgotten remnant of a more leisurely society long past.
So you be the judge about the photo selections I took below from our early afternoon walks during these two outings. Do you see those sparks of Monet interest that caught my attention on these two days? Note we will be moving west to New Orleans for a three day visit next on our road trip.










Both stops had their unique beauty. We were so lucky that the Springs wasn’t overrun the day we were there.
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French Impressionist Art is my absolute favorite period for artwork. The photos of the two places in Florida you showcase in this post possess a similar beauty and serenity captured in Monet’s painting.
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Jim – you got me! I had to Google Wekiwa state park because I had never heard of it. Fifty years ago I remember something near Gainesville with glass bottom boats and people would go tubing, but never did anyone mention Wekiwa. Thanks for sharing!
Dan
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