Last week, I attended week four of my spring art history class, Modern and Contemporary Art at the MFAH. Several of the students in the class are retired and enjoy taking courses at the studio school for the joy of learning, as I do.
Last semester, I decided to pursue a Certificate in Art History. My class this spring is one of several courses required to complete the 24-credit-hour certificate curriculum. The assignment for course credit is typically a written paper. Needless to say, I’ve started working on ideas.
I’m considering this week’s topic, Impressionism and the Post-Impressionists, as a potential starting point for my paper. To prepare for class, I completed the following tasks as recommended by the course professor.
A Virtual Tour of the Beck Collection
The video is an engaging overview of the extraordinary gift to the MFAH from John A and Audrey Jones Beck. The collection contains over 70 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. Click the link below if you are interested in viewing the video.
The Collection of John A. and Audrey Jones Beck
I purchased a used, like-new paperback copy of the Beck collection catalogue. According to Peter C. Marzio, the Director of MFAH at the time, the collection opened as a permanent exhibition in 1974. This impressive collection of artwork decorated the Becks’ home before being presented to the MFAH.
The Beck Building
The beauty of studying art movements in this course is access to the MFAH collection. During the hour before class, I wandered through the Beck building galleries 221-227, European Art, 1800-1940. A common thread guided my choice of works for review: depictions of a tree(s). Preparation before class provided a solid foundation for the class lecture and generated a deeper, richer understanding of the artists and their works.1
Next up: Fauvism, German Expressionism, Cubism, and the School of Paris: 1900’s – 1930’s
- Images of artworks were photographed during my visit on February 18, 2026. ↩︎