AllMovie

Per its title, the documentary series 1000 Great Masterpieces from the World of Art leads viewers on a systematic journey through art history, with each installment focusing on a specific school. The programs draw on insights by the authors of short art surveys, who provide incisive commentaries that are then illustrated onscreen with specific works. This particular volume travels back to the 1870s for what is arguably the best known (and certainly one of the most beloved) of all artistic schools: French Impressionism. The program explains the central goal of Impressionism: to capture the very experience of the moment with a colorful play of light, and forever reshape the way that spectators perceive the world. Works on display in this volume include: Gustave Caillebotte's "Paris Street Scene in the Rain," Albert Edelfelt's "Luxembourg Gardens," and Max Liebermann's "Women Mending Nets." Reiner E. Moritz directs.