plein-air

plein air

plein air (French: ‘open air’). Term used to characterize paintings (usually landscapes) done outdoors rather than in the studio, or more generally to describe pictures that give a strong feeling of the open air. Although there are earlier instances, painting outdoors did not become common until the 19th century, when the development of portable equipment made it much easier in practical terms. It became a central feature of Impressionism and is especially associated with Monet.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

IAN CHILVERS. "plein air." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "plein air." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-pleinair.html

IAN CHILVERS. "plein air." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O2-pleinair.html

Learn more about citation styles

plein air

plein air (Fr.: ‘open air’). Term used to characterize paintings (usually landscapes) done outdoors rather than in the studio, or more generally to describe pictures that give a strong feeling of the open air. Although there are earlier instances, painting outdoors did not become common until the 19th century, when the development of portable equipment made it much easier in practical terms. It became a central feature of Impressionism and is especially associated with Monet.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

IAN CHILVERS. "plein air." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

IAN CHILVERS. "plein air." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-pleinair.html

IAN CHILVERS. "plein air." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists. 2003. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O3-pleinair.html

Learn more about citation styles

plein-air

plein-air [Fr.,=open-air], term used for paintings or drawings made directly from nature and infused with a feeling of the open air. Painting outdoors is a relatively recent practice; the impressionists and the painters of the Barbizon school made plein-air painting an important dimension of their landscape work.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"plein-air." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"plein-air." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pleinair.html

"plein-air." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pleinair.html

Learn more about citation styles

plein-air

plein-airaffair, affaire, air, Altair, Althusser, Anvers, Apollinaire, Astaire, aware, Ayer, Ayr, bare, bear, bêche-de-mer, beware, billionaire, Blair, blare, Bonaire, cafetière, care, chair, chargé d'affaires, chemin de fer, Cher, Clair, Claire, Clare, commissionaire, compare, concessionaire, cordon sanitaire, couvert, Daguerre, dare, debonair, declare, derrière, despair, doctrinaire, éclair, e'er, elsewhere, ensnare, ere, extraordinaire, Eyre, fair, fare, fayre, Finisterre, flair, flare, Folies-Bergère, forbear, forswear, foursquare, glair, glare, hair, hare, heir, Herr, impair, jardinière, Khmer, Kildare, La Bruyère, lair, laissez-faire, legionnaire, luminaire, mal de mer, mare, mayor, meunière, mid-air, millionaire, misère, Mon-Khmer, multimillionaire, ne'er, Niger, nom de guerre, outstare, outwear, pair, pare, parterre, pear, père, pied-à-terre, Pierre, plein-air, prayer, questionnaire, rare, ready-to-wear, rivière, Rosslare, Santander, savoir faire, scare, secretaire, share, snare, solitaire, Soufrière, spare, square, stair, stare, surface-to-air, swear, Tailleferre, tare, tear, their, there, they're, vin ordinaire, Voltaire, ware, wear, Weston-super-Mare, where, yeah

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"plein-air." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"plein-air." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-pleinair.html

"plein-air." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-pleinair.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Plein Air Pleasures.(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: Art Business News; 6/1/2001
Ahhhh! En plein air: making art "in the open air" is a simple concept. Doing...
Magazine article from: Art Business News; 10/1/2006
TAOS WELCOMES PLEIN-AIR PAINTERS; THIRTY ARTISTS FROM NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO...
Newspaper article from: Taos News (Taos, NM); 5/7/2009

Facts and information from other sites

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of plein-air