Impressionism

Impressionism is an artistic movement that originated in France around the 1860s and 70s, with characteristics such as a breaking down of forms into small dabs of paint, short brush strokes with visible brushstrokes and often working on a large scale. The Impressionists wished to bring everyday experience to life using bright colours, loose brushwork and clear lines.

Impressionism was an important development in the art world, and development of its techniques led to many new art styles and movements, including Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism. The Impressionists’ main goal was to capture the fleeting appearance of the world in all its beauty, using bold compositions, bright colours, and rough brushwork. They also wished to focus on the effects of light on objects and to create paintings that evoked a sense of place, atmosphere, and movement. The Impressionists’ paintings drew inspiration from the rising popularity of outdoor leisure activities, especially bicycling, boating, and hiking. These activities encouraged a focus on the fleeting appearance of objects and the natural settings in which people lived. The Impressionists also used outdoor activities as inspiration for subject matter. The Impressionists broke from the 19th-century tradition of grand, heroic paintings. They painted scenes of modern life, focusing on everyday people and often treating them as if they were members of their own family or close friends. The Impressionists were inspired by the Primitivism of earlier artists, particularly the Pre-Raphaelites, who depicted ancient peoples and cultures realistically. They also found inspiration in the Pre-Impressionist works of Corot, Eugène Delacroix, and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. The Impressionists rejected the use of academic rules of perspective and representation. They presented paintings and drawings with more elements of poetry and emotion, rather than drama and realism in the manner of their 19th-century predecessors. The Impressionists rebelled against 19th-century concepts of artistic perfection. They rejected the use of academic rules and representations of real life. The Impressionists painted their subjects as they wished them to be: as individuals, not as representatives of groups or classes. The Impressionists rejected the 19th-century tradition of clear, accurate drawing or clean, precise brushwork. The Impressionists valued spontaneity and Impressionist artists often worked quickly, using bold brushwork and bright colours. The Impressionists painted landscapes and urban scenes almost as much as portraits. The Impressionists were interested in the effects of natural light and on hot summer days, the painters often painted outside. to create a sense of motion and depth. The Impressionists broke from traditional conceptions of space, time, and depth. They painted people and objects in natural settings and often painted them larger than life size.

The Impressionists often painted their subjects from an elevated or high perspective. The Impressionists painted directly from nature, rather than from life studies. They often painted outdoor scenes from life, but their models rarely posed for very long. The Impressionists often painted studies of people and objects during short visits or vacations in small towns, rural areas, or remote regions. Instead of exhibiting their paintings in official art galleries, the Impressionists exhibited them informally at makeshift salons, called fêtes galants, in the homes, studios, and public rooms of private Parisians. These informal fêtes galants were open to the public as well as members of the Impressionist group. The Impressionists also exhibited their paintings in official art galleries, but they were not as successful there as they were when they exhibited informally at fêtes galant. The Impressionists were an important and influential group of artists in 19th-century art.

The Impressionists changed the direction of art by emphasising the effects of light and movement in paintings. Their unique style of painting led directly to many other art movements and influences, including Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism. The Impressionists told their stories with light and colourful strokes and dabs of paint. They expressed their feelings and attitudes through bold brushwork, bold colour, and simplified line. Like their subjects, Impressionist artists rejected the rigid, academic conventions of the 19th-century. The Impressionists were each unique, but they had in common a rebellious spirit and an optimistic nature. The Impressionists strove to capture a sense of movement, movement, and light in their paintings. They painted outdoors and used short, rapid brush strokes to create a “snapshot” quality in their paintings. The Impressionists attempted to capture a fleeting moment, a fleeting impression, rather than to portray subjects exactly as they were. They expressed their emotions through luminous colour, vibrant brushwork, and simplified, graceful lines.