A current art exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston brought back a flood of childhood memories. They were triggered by Dancers in the Classroom, a beautiful painting by Edgar Degas, the French Impressionist.

Degas, Dancers in the Classroom

I didn’t know who he was when I was a child growing up in Michigan. But my mother was determined her two daughters would grow up to be prima ballerinas. To that end, she enrolled my 8-year-old sister and me (age 5) in ballet classes.

This was followed by the purchase of Degas reprints exclusively depicting young ballerinas. They graced our living room, dining room, and the bedroom my sister and I shared. It was as if my mother was obsessed with ballerinas. I recall hearing the name Degas, but knew nothing more.

Degas, Little Dancer, Aged 14

I could have gazed at the Degas for hours, but a throng of noisy visitors jolted me back to reality. One reason for the flurry of interest is that The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Art Institute exhibition ends its MFAH stint on May 4.

The renowned touring collection consists of 73 paintings by 25 famous artists. Some of the artists are: Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste-Renoir, Edouard Manet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Jean-Francois Millet, Jean-Baptiste, Camille Carot, Jean Leon-Gerome, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre Bonnard, and of course, one of my favorite Impressionists, Edgar Degas.

Bouguereau, Seated Nude

After touring Europe, Asia, and North America for the past three years, and being on display at the MFAH since December, the exhibition will return to its permanent home at the institute in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. 

Tissot, Chrysanthemums

Aside from loving the art of ballet, I can see why my mom loved Degas. I can also see why Sterling and Francine Clark traveled the world collecting artworks from renowned painters. In fact, they founded the art institute in 1955 to house their vast collection of other diverse artworks.

Renoir, The Box at the Theater

Art lovers and lovers of French Impressionist artists, like myself, need to act fast so as not to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was a four-hour trip from Dallas to see some of the world’s most thought-provoking art. But this exclusive Texas engagement was worth the trip.

Monet, The Cliffs at Tretat

The exhibition began in March 2011 in Palazzo Reale in Milan. In the spring of 2012, Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum hosted the exhibition. Houston snagged a chance to host it after the exhibition ended its Asia tour. In 2011, I was in Houston. In 2012, I was in San Antonio. So this was indeed my last chance.

“The Clarks were some of the finest collectors of their time, and their distinctive sensibility and taste is evident in their remarkable selection of some of the most renowned paintings in the history of 19th century French painting,” said Gary Tinterow, MFAH director.

Boldini, Young Woman Crocheting

Sterling Clark was heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune. He and his wife, Francine, collected most of the artworks between 1910 and 1950. The couple amassed a large number of European and American paintings, sculpture, drawings, English silver, and exquisite porcelain.

Since SFCAI undertook a massive renovation and expansion in 2011, the most prized collection of French Impressionist artworks were selected to embark on a three-year international tour. Moreover, the collection will return in time for the art institute’s grand reopening July 4.

Fantin-LaTour, Roses in a bowl and dish

An added bonus for MFAH visitors is John Singer Sargent: The Watercolors, an exhibition of 100 watercolors by this American Gilded Age master. The exhibition, which closes Memorial Day, May 26, consists of 100 Mediterranean-inspired watercolor paintings.

Sargent (1856-1925) built his reputation painting portraits of people in high society. He employed the technique of swift, short brushwork to capture vivid images of his wealthy clients.

Like contemporaries, James McNeil Whistler, Mary Cassatt, and others, Sargent spent most of his working life in Europe. Consequently, Sargent was inspired by the Impressionist art movement that emerged in Paris.

Pisarro, Landscape at Saint Charles

Sargent also derived inspiration from pre-Impressionism sources, such as 17th century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez. This led Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923), another Sargent contemporary, to state that Sargent was the best American painter of his era.

We, the lovers of Impressionism and art in general, are now the beneficiaries, which is why I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit a museum with a global vision as well as global facilities. 

Pissaro, Piet's house at Montfoucault

Renoir, Portrait of Madame Monet

The MFAH was founded in 1900, and is among the 10 largest museums in the United States. It comprises two gallery buildings, a sculpture garden, a theater, two art schools, and two libraries. The MFAH is situated in the heart of Houston’s expansive Museum District.

Visitors may want to note that the museum will be closed on three consecutive Mondays in May: May 5, May 12, and May 19. But the general public is invited to take part in a series of in-depths tours led by art historians. For more information call (713) 639-7771.

Rosie Carbo is the Lifestyles Editor for Wandering Educators, and is a former newspaper reporter whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. Some of those publications include People magazine, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. Some of her features were redistributed by The Associated Press early in her career as an award-winning Texas journalist. 

All photos courtesy and copyright The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston/The Age of Impressionism: Great French Paintings from the Sterling and Francine Art Institute