Impressionism and Antisemitism: Art Tainted by Hate

The late 19th century was a tumultuous time in France, marked not only by artistic revolution but also by political upheaval. Among the many artistic movements emerging during this period, impressionism stood out for its bold techniques and fresh perspectives on light and color. Yet, the Impressionist artists were not just observers of the world around them; they also engaged in sociopolitical issues, notably the Dreyfus Affair. During this time, latent animosity of some impressionist artists toward Jews came to the surface, uniting impressionism and antisemitism.

Impressionism and the Dreyfus Affair

The Dreyfus Affair was a political scandal that rocked France from the mid-1890s to the early 1900s. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was falsely accused of treason, leading to his conviction based on dubious evidence. The case exposed deep-seated antisemitism within French society and sparked a fierce public debate about justice, nationalism, and civil rights. The Dreyfus Affair divided the impressionist artists into pro-Dreyfus and anti-Dreyfus camps. At the time, impressionism and antisemitism seemed inseparable.

Impressionism and Antisemitism: Degas, Renoir, and Cézanne

Edgar Degas

Of the anti-Dreyfus impressionist artists, Edgar Degas was the most vehemently antisemitic. In conversations with colleagues well before the Dreyfus Affair, Degas expressed his Jew hatred. The Dreyfus case merely gave him more fuel for his fire of hate as evidenced by Julie Manet’s diary. To quote An Impressionist Story – The Dreyfus Affair:

Julie Manet’s diary details the extremes of his bigotry, which at times would reduce him to tears of anger. She writes of one evening when she paid a visit to his studio to invite him to dinner but found him in a “state against the Jews,” so she felt obliged to withdraw, “without asking him a thing.”

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Impressionism and antisemitism were also united in the character of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Like Degas, Renoir spewed his hatred of Jews in private conversations. During and after the Dreyfus Affair, he refused to show his artwork in the same exhibitions as the Jewish painter Camille Pissarro. Pissarro was an assimilated Jew, but a Jew nonetheless. Renoir broke off all communication with him and his family.

Paul Cézanne

Although less outspoken than Degas and Renoir, Cézanne sided with the French government against Dreyfus. He broke his long time friendship with novelist and journalist Emile Zola for siding with Dreyfus.

Impressionism and Antisemitism: The Bright Side of a Dark Story

Fortunately, the dark story of impressionism and antisemitism has a bright side. Impressionist artists like Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Paul Signac rejected the antisemitic diatribe of their contemporaries. Writer Émile Zola defended Dreyfus in his writings. Although not an artist, the mention of Zola’s support for Dreyfus is significant because these impressionists congratulated Zola on his bold stand. These individuals risked their credibility as artists and writers, personal friendships, and in the case of Zola, imprisonment.

Émile Zola

One of the most significant figures in the Dreyfus Affair was Émile Zola, a renowned novelist and journalist. In 1898, he published an open letter titled ‘J’Accuse…!’ ( I Accuse! ) in the popular French newspaper L’Aurore. This powerful piece condemned the military’s actions, cited antisemitism, and called for justice for Dreyfus.

Zola was prosecuted and found guilty of libel. He fled to England. avoiding imprisonment, and later returned to France in 1899. ‘J’Accuse…! ‘ goes down in history as one of the best newspaper articles ever written, condemning government abuse of power.

Claude Monet

Claude Monet was an early supporter of Dreyfus. He championed Émile Zola’s newspaper article and actually wrote him a letter of congratulations. Monet signed the ‘Manifesto of the Intellectuals’, a pro Dreyfus article read by French students and publishers.

Mary Cassatt

Another Dreyfus supporter was Mary Cassatt. Her friendship with Degas was severely strained due to his antisemitic character and support of the government’s prosecution of Dreyfus.

Paul Signac

Not much is known about Paul Signac’s public reaction to the Dreyfus Affair, except that he supported Dreyfus, risking his friendship with contemporaries Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne.

Conclusion

Camille Pissarro’s contemporaries, including Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne, viewed him as their mentor of the impressionist movement. In fact, Cezanne is quoted as saying of Pissarro:

‘…he was a father for me. A man to consult and a little like the good Lord’

Sadly, Pissarro’s admirers turned on him over the Dreyfus Affair. Hatred is blind to goodness.

Unfortunately, there are artists whose personalities and behaviors leave a lot to be desired. The question remains: Should we separate the art from the artist?

More on Jewish impressionist artists – Jewish Artists of the 1800s: Pissarro, Levitan, Liebermann