Impressionism as a Painting Style

What is Impressionism?

Impressionism is a broad term that refers to several distinct, experimental art movements. While each movement shares some common characteristics and techniques, they also differed in important ways. The Impressionist movement was an artistic response to the Industrial Revolution and the rise of modern cities. In addition to their reaction against industrialization, impressionists were reacting against the Neo-Classical and Romanticist styles popular at the time. Impressionism emerged from this context as a new style of painting that rejected many traditional principles of making art. Instead, this movement emphasized the natural world instead of artificial representations, simplified instead of detailed scenes, and vivid colors instead of neutral tones. This article explores all you need to know about Impressionism as an art movement as well as specific examples from its most famous painters such

Origins of Impressionism

The Impressionist movement originated in the 1860s in France, during a time of rapid social, economic, and political change. The Industrial Revolution was well underway, and people were moving in droves to new cities. The newly-formed middle class was also beginning to flex its political muscle. The Impressionist movement was an artistic response to this changing world, as well as a rebellion against the prevailing artistic styles of the time. The term “impressionism” was first used in 1874 by art critic Louis Edeler to describe a painting by Claude Monet called Impression, Soleil Levant (Impression, Sunrise). Edler used the term to describe the effect of a scene or object as it is being perceived, rather than how it is. Impressionism emerged from several trends in 19th-century art, including Realism, Romanticism, and Post-Impressionism. While these earlier movements shared some characteristics with Impressionism, each had its distinct style and approach.

Key Principles

- Naturalism: The artistic movement was focused on the depiction of everyday scenes as realistically as possible. The most famous example of this is "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte", which is a scene from everyday life in Paris.

- Preference for Tonal Rather than Coloristic Painting: Before the Impressionist movement, artists often layered pigments on top of each other to create the illusion of different colors. In contrast, the Impressionist painters preferred to mix their paints with lots of white, so that the final color was as close to the original pigment as possible. This lets them achieve greater subtlety of color and light.

- Preference for a Subjective or Intuitive Approach: The Impressionist painters looked beyond nature for inspiration, which they believed was too restrictive a model. They instead explored their imaginations and experimented with new techniques and materials.

Famous Artists and Works

The Impressionist movement was made up of many famous painters, including Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and others. Claude Monet (1840-1926) is perhaps the best-known Impressionist painter. He is particularly renowned for his series of paintings depicting scenes in and around the French village of Giverny, such as 〈Water Lilies〉. Monet's paintings are characterized by their rich color and light and their focus on natural scenes. Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) was another important Impressionist painter and the first non-French artist to join the group. His work had a strong focus on landscape and rural life, and he was particularly interested in the lives of working people. Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was another important Impressionist painter, although he is less well-known today. He was interested in ballet and other artistic endeavors, as well as painting, and is best known for his depictions of Parisian life. Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was another early member of the movement. He is best known for his paintings of people in relaxed, indoor settings, often with lots of flowers. His work often features large figures who are painted in a delicate, almost blurry way.

Problems with the Artistic Movement

The Impressionist movement was largely rejected by the art establishment in France during its heyday. While it enjoyed some favor in England, it was generally met with derision among art critics and curators. Critics argued that the Impressionist style was too messy, too imprecise, too haphazard, and too unstructured. In a time of social upheaval, critics were also uncomfortable with the Impressionists’ focus on the lives of the middle class, and their rejection of the artistic status quo. The Impressionist movement ran out of steam after its heyday in the late 1880s and 1890s. After its decline, however, it came to be recognized as an important and influential movement in European art. It is especially famous for its exploration of new technologies and materials, as well as its emphasis on everyday life as a subject matter. It also pushed the boundaries of artistic style and medium and paved the way for later movements like Post-Impressionism.

Conclusion

The Impressionist movement was an artistic response to the Industrial Revolution when the urbanization was at its peak. This movement emphasized naturalism, the use of tonal rather than coloristic painting, and a subjective or intuitive approach. Its best-known artists are Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro. The Impressionist movement has since come to be recognized as an important and influential European art movement.