Lecture tomorrow discusses role of impressionist artists in 19th-century Europe

York Professor Emeritus Arthur Haberman will discuss the role of Impressionist artists in depicting the new middle-class culture in the fourth talk in York’s U50 College Masters Public Lecture Series.

The lecture, “Impressionism and Society”, will take place Tuesday, April 14 from 7 to 9pm in the Founders College Assembly Hall, 152 Founders College, Keele campus.

Right: Arthur Haberman

Haberman, an intellectual historian of modern Europe who teaches humanities and history, will examine how the impressionists were the first artists to depict the new middle-class culture in 19th-century Europe.

“For Manet, Degas and others, the cafés, theatres and the new urban landscape became the subject of art,” says Haberman. “They described it and tried to get viewers to understand how it changed the human experience.”

In addition to his research and teaching at York, Haberman won a 3M National Teaching Fellowship and is the co-author of The West and the World Since 1500: Selected Readings (Gage Learning Corp., 2004) and The West and the World: Contacts, Conflicts, Connections (Gage Learning Corp., 2002).

The college masters designed the lecture series as part of York’s 50th anniversary to highlight some of the diverse research faculty members at York are involved with. Each of York’s nine colleges will host one such talk.

The speakers and talks have been selected for the excitement in doing research that each speaker exhibits. The talks will be geared to a general audience, with no technical knowledge of the subject matter or the topic, being presupposed.

The talk is sponsored by the Office of the Master of Founders College. There is no fee for this lecture, although advance registration is required.

To register or for more information, contact Franca Cece at ext. 55148 or franca@yorku.ca. For more information about upcoming U50 events, visit the U50 Web site.