Morisot LE BEREAU.FristCenter.BirthofImpressionsim
Morisot, Le Bereau @ The Birth of Impressionism, Frist Center

In one word: Light.

The Frist Center for Visual Arts impressionist exhibit is about light. The exhibit IS light. Good art, to use the woo-woo way of saying things, can open one's heart chakra. Woo-woo or not, I left this beautiful exhibit with a sense of openness in my heart. A sense of almost tearful joy. A sense of…light-ness.

Nashville is the last top for Whistler's Mother and other masterpieces in "The Birth of Impressionism from the Musee d' Orsay." The collection of 100 paintings, which traveled from Paris to Madrid to San Francisco, finishes its tour here on January 23. The Nashville exhibit at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts boasts 17 paintings from the Musee d' Orsay that did not travel to the other museums.

The collection is reputed as the finest of French mid-to-late 19th century art in the world. From Degas' elegant dancers, from Renoir, Monet and Manet to the depiction of lush, fleshy, earthy peasants. The collection chronicles the historical era and development of Impressionism.

In the exhibit's second room, Henri Leopold Levy's "Sarpedon" encompasses the wall facing the door, from nearly floor to ceiling. Not until I read about the piece did I realize I was looking at a depiction of Greek mythology and not one of Jesus' death. The angst. The detail. The light. This painting literally moved me to the cusp of tears.

Make some time this holiday season for a different kind of feast. The Frist Center's Birth of Impressionism exhibit is a feast for the eyes. For more information: Frist Center. Note that this is a ticketed exhibit. You will pay a little extra and there may be lines. Be smart. Make a plan. Enjoy. And, Breathe In the Light!