Impressionism 

• 1860s - 1900s (originated in France before spreading through Europe and America)

• Stresses atmosphere & sunlight on subject matter

• Ordinary people being leisurely

• Mostly outdoor landscapes (“en plein air”) on small canvases that could be done quickly, before sun shifted

• Artists not interested in painting history, mythology

• The goal was to capture a spontaneous “impression” - not perfection

• Quick, short, loose brushstrokes (dabs of colour meant to be viewed from a distance - pointillism)

• Critics found this art to be “unfinished” and “amateur”

  • Considered “low-class art” because it was painted outside and did not have fine details
  • Genre paintings; people doing ordinary things

• Impressionists: Interested in colour and developed a fascination with the effect of light & spontaneous rendering.

  • Wanted to express an immediate impression, not a detailed analysis (making light and colour their subject matter)

• “Momentary glimpse of nature” is achieved based on what they saw - bright, glaring and high-keyed with coloured light penetrating shadows

• ^^Artists^^

  • %%Degas%%

  • Master of line and drawing (carefully considered the positioning of people and objects)

  • Doesn’t use the blurring technique

  • Earliest of impressionism so it’s the closest to realism

  • Known for drawing bodies in motion and different perspectives

  • Carriage at the Races, The Ballet Class, The Belleli Family, Glass of Absinthe

    • The Ballet Class series is when he used softness to express action or material
    • Planned asymmetric balance

  • %%Manet%%

  • “Not as they are, but as they appear to be”

  • Painted The Railway in a very flat manner and mundane (not realism’s detail with shadows and depth) with unblended paint

  • The Waitress, Luncheon on the Grass, Impression Sunrise, Boulevard des Capucines

  • %%Monet%%

  • Perfect example for broken colour (eyes naturally blend the colours)

  • Made 30 paintings of hay bales in different seasons and times of day, “The sun sets so fast, I cannot follow it”

  • Water-lilies series with dry brush technique, no horizon line

  • Rouen Cathedral

    • He wanted to analyze changes in the sun’s movement or interruptions of clouds or haze

  • %%Renoir%%

  • Interested in painting women and nude figures

  • Blurs edges to blend subjects with their surroundings (In the Meadow)

  • Used blue paint instead of black in some paintings

  • Luncheon of the Boating Party, The Swing

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