I was
in an art gallery with my kids one afternoon when we paused in front of a group
of large, Impressionist-style landscapes.
“Did the artist go outside to paint these?” asked ten-year-old Andy.
I didn’t know, since I’d never heard of the artist, so I asked the stiff, sour-faced woman behind the desk if the paintings had been done outdoors.
This self-styled High Priestess of Art paused a moment, looked down her nose, sniffed, and said, “Yes, they’re plein air."
There’s nothing like art to bring out the snob in people. Whether it’s snooty gallery employees, uppity collectors, smug academics, or condescending artists themselves, the art world offers enough snob words to keep a blog like this going for decades.
But for now, let's focus on the phrase en plein air, which is pronounced on-plane-AIR΄. It means ‘in the open air’ in French, and refers to the practice of sketching or painting outdoors. While artists had been making outdoor sketches since the 17th century, the invention of paint tubes in the late 19th century made it practical to bring paintings to near completion outside.
“Did the artist go outside to paint these?” asked ten-year-old Andy.
I didn’t know, since I’d never heard of the artist, so I asked the stiff, sour-faced woman behind the desk if the paintings had been done outdoors.
This self-styled High Priestess of Art paused a moment, looked down her nose, sniffed, and said, “Yes, they’re plein air."
There’s nothing like art to bring out the snob in people. Whether it’s snooty gallery employees, uppity collectors, smug academics, or condescending artists themselves, the art world offers enough snob words to keep a blog like this going for decades.
But for now, let's focus on the phrase en plein air, which is pronounced on-plane-AIR΄. It means ‘in the open air’ in French, and refers to the practice of sketching or painting outdoors. While artists had been making outdoor sketches since the 17th century, the invention of paint tubes in the late 19th century made it practical to bring paintings to near completion outside.
Painting en plein air became the norm for the Impressionists,
especially for Claude Monet, who did most of his painting outdoors.
Of
course, as demonstrated by the woman in the art gallery I mentioned, there is
no good reason--other than snobbery--for a native speaker of English to say or
write en plein air. The
English phrases "outdoor painting" or "painted outdoors" are
perfectly good alternatives.
But if
you're determined to be a snob, here are a two suggestions for using the phrase:
1. You’re outside, in a park, with a friend, when you notice a woman sitting behind an easel working on an oil painting. “How charming,” you say, “she’s painting en plein air!” (Be sure to say the phrase loud enough so that everyone in the park can hear you.)
2. You're at work, and you want to put that uppity supervisor in her place. As she walks by, pretend you're talking on the phone and say the following: "Edgar and I don't collect anything that was painted indoors. Oh, no, it's nothing but plein air for us."
1. You’re outside, in a park, with a friend, when you notice a woman sitting behind an easel working on an oil painting. “How charming,” you say, “she’s painting en plein air!” (Be sure to say the phrase loud enough so that everyone in the park can hear you.)
2. You're at work, and you want to put that uppity supervisor in her place. As she walks by, pretend you're talking on the phone and say the following: "Edgar and I don't collect anything that was painted indoors. Oh, no, it's nothing but plein air for us."
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