Between the silent, towering walls of the Blanton Museum of Art, art admirers gather around a tour guide

and stand back a few steps to see a painting a little clearer. The set of paintings in this certain exhibit are a bit different than the usual paintings harbored in the building. These are each covered with glass, as they are all part of the high-caliber Turner to Monet: Masterpieces of the Walter Art Museum exhibit that the museum hosted from Oct. 2, 2010 to Jan. 2, 2011. Originally from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, the exhibit showcased forty pieces of early 19th Century impressionist paintings from artists like Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, and J.M.W. Turner. Blanton volunteer and Public Relations junior Amy Hoang described the collection as a moving experience. I would catch myself looking at a painting and walking back to stare at it for hours, Hoang, said. Even though its a still picture, you can see the sun setting or the wind blowing or how far someone has walked from one point to another. Before the exhibit, Hoang said that she had not experienced impressionist paintings. Inspired by the collection, she went home and did more research on the significance of this 19th Century style of painting. Theres a focus on seeing time in [impressionist] paintings, Hoang, hoping to add an art history major to her current degree, said. Its not just a scene; its a small period of time in a picture. The extra walls inserted into the exhibit room were part of an effort designed to guide visitors through the collection. True to its title, the exhibit opened with a piece from artist J.M.W Turner and ended with a Claude Monet painting.

William Walters and his son Henry were the art collectors who compiled this particular assortment of paintings, Hoang said. The 19th Century was a time when artists painted with the intention of selling for profit, but first they needed to the approval of French academies. Unapproved paintings never saw the light of day, until the Walters began collecting them. Back then, [people] were so rigid on what was art and what wasnt, Hoang said. At that time, everybody wanted a lot of pictures that showed heroism and strength and power. Some artists didnt want to paint about that, and if it didnt hold those characteristics, it wouldnt be seen as interesting. However, she says that the perception of art seems to have thankfully changed. I feel like people are a little more open to interpretation, Hoang said. Now maybe people have had more experience with art that they just dont really expect art to look a certain way and know that its meant to inspire thought within. If such is the case, the Blanton has continued its long tradition of exposing art to many audiences through Turner to Monet.