Whether you are a novice or art historian, introduce yourself to the beauty and romance of the Impressionists.

What is Impressionism?

The Impressionists embraced a new way of painting, an approach that was very different from the traditions of the past. The works by the masters seemed larger than life, detailed in their presentation with subjects surrounded in shades of gray and black in the background. The details of hair, eyes, hands and expression were clear and exact.

The Impressionist painter focused on the detail of color and shade of a subject, not the clarity of details of the subject. The artist wanted to capture the surroundings of the moment, providing an "impression" of a scene. The canvas could then reveal the precise colors and shades as seen through the eyes of the artist. This required speed on the part of the creator. Working outdoors, color, texture, shape, and shadows changed as light conditions altered with every passing minute.

When was the Impressionist Period?

Impressionism in art began around 1860 and lasted to the early 1880s. The Impressionism Movement began in France with a group of French painters who worked together from 1874 to 1882. The originators of Impressionism were: Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley.

Subjects of the Impressionist Painter

The artist selected their subjects from the world around them. Recording the aspects of everyday life, they painted nature, landscapes, people, and buildings to invite the viewer into the daily world of man and woman. Therefore, battle scenes, historical figures, and classical mythology painted by the masters were not subjects of the Impressionists.

Where did the name "Impressionism" come from?

The "new" approach to painting by the group of French painters was not accepted by the establishment. The rejection of their work did not discourage them. In 1874, Edgar Degas, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cezanne, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot were among 30 artists that arranged their own exhibit to display their work to the public and critics. The reviews varied, but the history of art was to be forever changed.

The term "Impressionism" was given to the collection of works painted by the artists. It was based on the title of Claude Monet’s painting "Impression: Sunrise," a painting on display at the exhibition. The critics saw the painters’ work as an "impression" of a subject. The term was meant to be an insult. Little did the critics know that this new generation of masters would change the landscape of the art world.

Camille Pissarro’s Word of Advice

Le Bail was a young art student of Camille Pissarro. In 1881, Le Bail wrote that Pissarro said, "Look for the kind of nature that suits your temperament."

We should apply Pissarro’s advice to our lives today. When you are selecting artwork, pick pieces that you enjoy and invite the different shades and colors of romance into your daily life.