Every artist has their own perception of the way they create or even look at art.
The impressionism art movement was no less than a successful perception of a group of artists who saw the world as a blank canvas.
A lot of people confuse realism with Impressionism but those two are completely different.
The Impressionist movement rooted deeply on an emotional level, as the artists painted not just what they saw but what they felt about it!
Amid hardships and rejections, this rebellious art movement made its way and is now responsible for influencing artists around the world.
In this blog we will be talking about the Impressionism art movement in depth, so let’s dive right into it.
Table of contents
Idea Behind Impressionism
Artists like Renoir and Monet tossed the idea of Impressionism by creating paintings that justified emotions.
What they felt was what they drew on the canvas with bold colors, smooth brushstrokes, and the perfect blend of colors.
This movement was considered revolutionary since it stood against the traditional rules of art.
Impressionism focused more on emotions and light rather than capturing the perfect details.
History of Impressionism Art Movement
Now that we are aware of the idea behind Impressionism, let us talk about the origin of it.
Impressionism began in the 1860s in France when an anonymous group of artists challenged the traditional rules of art.
The movement completely focused on capturing light, color, and the essence of everyday scenes.
It was over time that they started gaining popularity and caught the attention of the critics as well, who in the first place rejected Impressionism.
From being rejected to being one of the most impactful art movements, the Impressionism art movement has indeed come a long way.
Characteristics Of Impressionism
The Impressionism art movement focuses on a lot of features but some of the key characteristics are:
- Focus on Light: The artists captured how the light changed and reflected on the surfaces and how it differed throughout the day.
- Variety of brushstrokes: The roughly blended and quick brushstrokes created a sense of movement.
- Usage of vibrant colors: artists use vibrant and bold colors, and sometimes even without blending.
- Outdoor painting: Many works were created in the outdoor setting and were used to define what the artists saw in the open field.
These were some of the characteristics of the Impressionism art movement.
Impact of Impressionism on the Modern Art World
The Impressionism art movement had a huge impact on modern art by changing how artists viewed the world.
This broke their viewpoint from realistic, detailed painting and inspired new styles like abstract art and expressionism.
This art movement encouraged creativity, freedom, and new ways of seeing the world.
Also Read: Paintings by Jackson Pollock
Painters Who Shaped The Impressionism Art Movement
As we have discussed, the Impressionism art movement was started in the 1860s by an anonymous group of artists.
But the leading pillars were some of the famous painters of history.
Artists like Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir were the key figures in this movement.
Each of the painters had their own style of representing impressionism from their lives.
Their unique style and depiction of the characters and subjects in impressionism were what made the art movement famous.
For example, Claude Monet captured light and nature with his vibrant palette and Degas focused more on modern life.
Even though their subjects were different, their approach was the same and that is what ultimately shaped impressionism.
3 Famous Paintings From Impressionism Art Movement
1. Bal du Moulin de La Galette
One of the most famous paintings from the Impressionism art movement is Bal du Moulin de La Galette.
In this painting, Pierre shows a lively outdoor dance party in Paris.
This is one of the paintings by Renoir that captures joyful people, vibrant colors, and the warmth of a sunny afternoon.
This painting also focuses on the soft movements of the characters.
2. Graystacks (From the Series of Haystacks)
This painting is from one of Monet’s famous series Haystacks; it shows stacks of hay in different light.
This allowed Monet to capture even the smallest bits of changes in the colors and textures of the stacks.
In this painting, Monet has focused on light and atmosphere.
Read More: Paintings by Claude Monet
3. Young Girl At a Window
Young Girl at a Window is a famous painting by Mary Cassatt that features a girl sitting by a window.
The soft colors and intimate moments capture the girl’s gentle curiosity and the peacefulness of the scene.
This painting also focuses on the innocent expression of the girl and the vibrant eye color is what grabs the viewer’s attention.
P.S: These were three of my favorite picks from Impressionism. If you want to read about more paintings, then make sure to read this blog:
Famous Impressionist Paintings
Conclusion
This was about one of the famous art movements in history, the Impressionism art movement.
Amid all the rejections, hardships, and struggles in the initial years, this art movement still made its mark.
Impressionism successfully influenced and empowered many modern artists, and it remains one of the most talked-about art movements.
Impressionism aimed towards independence, rebellion, and bold moves.
This ultimately helped artists to shine through and showcase their perspective on the art world.
If you are someone who believes that this art movement is just adorable, then make sure to leave a comment.
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Until then,
Bye!