Restless Violet Shadows

David Scott Kastan and Stephen Farthing | Laphams Quarterly | 23rd May 2018

What made the Impressionists so distinctive? Many things, but what upset their critics the most was their use of violet. Violet differentiated, which was welcome. More importantly, though, they were changing “landscapes into lightscapes”, painting the air between painter and object. ““I have finally discovered the true color of the atmosphere,” [boasted] Manet “It is violet.””