An Overview of Impressionism

The artistic movement of impressionism began in the 1860’s in Paris, France.

Jacques-Louis David, 1812

Napoleon in His Study

Before Impressionism, artists painted portraits and historical or

religious scenes.

They were commissioned by wealthy families or by the church.

They were paid to paint very realistic portraits or scenes, most

often in subdued colors.

Edouard Manet, 1873

On the Beach

The Impressionist

painters painted whatever they

wanted to, of it. and they did so

for the enjoyment.

Art became accessible to the common people.

Claude Monet, 1903

Water Lilies (The Clouds)

Impressionist painters went outside and painted beautiful landscapes.

Gustave Courbet, 1849-1850

A Burial at Ornans

Artists were no longer limited to formal portraits,

nobility or religious themes, like this one.

Edgar Degas, 1872

Dance Class at the Opéra

The people in paintings were now everyday people doing everyday things. These were not famous or rich people

posing. They were ordinary girls at a ballet class.

Dürer Albrecht, 1490

Portrait of the Artist's Father

Before Impressionism, artists used indoor lighting

with subdued tones of yellows and browns.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1876

A Girl With a Watering Can

The Impressionist artists painted their subjects

outdoors.

They included many bright colors and reflections in

their clothing and in their skin tones.

Claude Monet , 1875

Woman with a Parasol

Capture the moment !

Impressionists capture a moment in time and paint their “impression” of that moment.

Notice the wide brush strokes of color. Notice all the colors

and reflections in the woman’s white dress.

Impressionists showed changes in the lighting and in weather conditions.

Alfred Sisley, 1870 - Vue du Canal Saint-Martin

Impressionist artist was so radical for the time that the artwork was banned from display in the traditional gallery called le salon.

As a result, the impressionists began their own gallery called the Salon de Refusés (Salon for the refused.)

Camille Pissarro, 1897 - Boulevard Montmartre

Impressionist artists have since gained acceptance and popularity and opened the doors for many creative modern artistic styles.

Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Impressionism

The impressionist style of painting is characterized

chiefly by concentration on the general impression produced by a scene or object and the use of

unmixed primary colors and small strokes to simulate

actual reflected light.

Berthe Morisot, 1872La Berceuse