The American impressionists in Florence

The other day I had the privilege of taking a drawing class at Palazzo Strozzi where they are featuring an exhibition of American impressionists in Florence, specifically the works of John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. We took a class focusing on landscapes and then were given time to draw in the gallery. After the class I went downstairs to see the contemporary exhibi, American Dreamers, and was able to see contrasting styles of art. One of my favorites was Thomas Doyle's pieces. He created dioramas with the central theme being the quintessential American home, but set in the time of the apocalypse.