Impressionism
Artistic Movements, Periods and Styles in 5 Points
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Impressionism
- Fascinated by light and color, Impressionists caused a break in the history of painting (the first exhibition of the group was in 1874). What is this “break” about? They no longer painted nature, but how nature is perceived (the impression). They did not want to paint things as they were told to in the Academy, they wanted to have the direct experience with reality.
- They painted outdoors, influenced by Constable, Turner and the artists of the Barbizon School, and experimented with light and different atmospheric conditions at different times of the day. Thus showing that the beauty of things differs at every moment.
- One of the main theories is that we “do not see particular objects, each one with its own color, but a mix of tones that get combined in our eyes.” Let’s observe in detail the painting that illustrates.
- The use of pure pigments results in vivid and brilliant colors. The brushstroke is fast —necessary to capture the instant— loose, marked and nervous.
- Impressionists discarded the traditional themes: historic, religious, romantic. They were interested in landscapes and real-life scenes.
Representative artists: Monet, Renoir, Berthe Morisot, Sisley, Pissarro, Mary Cassat, Marie Bracquemond, Eva Gonzalès.
Image: The Poppy Field near Argenteuil (1873). Claude Monet
Recommended links:
Characteristic Elements of Impressionist Painting.
Fundamental Painters of Impressionism.
The direct experience and its importance for modern art.
Timeline: from Neoclassicism till the end of the 19th century.
Impression, Sunrise (1872), Claude Monet.
Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881), Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
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