Plein air painting is the act of painting nature, in nature. The resulting artworks encapsulate the light, colors, and moods of the outdoors, viewed first-hand. 

The tradition of plein air painting was popularized during the mid-19th century when, for the first time, due to advancements in the technologies of artistic equipment, artists were able to buy portable easels, canvases, and oil paint in tubes. Prior to this, paints were typically mixed in the studio, and transported in glass jars. Another development in painting equipment which made plein air painting much easier was the Pochade Box, which held a canvas in the lid, as well as painting supplies, which greatly aided the convenience and portability of plein air painting. Going out into the landscape became an important element for Impressionist artists, who based their work on capturing the ephemeral qualities of the environment, as well as the Hudson River School.

Due to their portability and practicality, watercolors were the primary medium for plein air work. They allowed artists to depict their surroundings in real time with minimal materials, and allowed artists to capture nature’s fleeting moments with immediacy. Many plein air artists worked rapidly in one single sitting in order to capture the quickly-passing moments found in the outdoors.

Plein Air from the CMA Collection highlights artists such as August Biehle, Winslow Homer, and Joseph O’Sickey, who let nature be their muse, and found their inspiration in the ever-changing world outside. 

Images from top to bottom: 

Rose Reprise, ca. 1990. Patricia Tobacco Forrester (1940-2011).

Watercolor on paper. 

Red Lily, 1992. Joseph Raffael (1933-2021). Watercolor on paper. 

The Theatre, Arles, 1959. Eliot O'Hara (1890-1969).

Watercolor on paper.