Impressionism and Expressionism

• Impressionism and Expressionism were significant art movements that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Both movements rebelled against the academic traditions and sought to express individual and subjective experiences, but they differed significantly in their approaches and aesthetic goals.

Impressionism

• Impressionism originated in France in the 1860s and flourished until the early 20th century.
• Impressionist artists aimed to capture the fleeting moment and the subjective impression of light and color in nature.
• Key characteristics include:
  • Emphasis on capturing the immediate sensory experience.
  • Use of visible brushstrokes to depict the play of light and movement.
  • Focus on landscapes and scenes of modern life.
  • Use of pure, unmixed colors applied in small strokes.
  • Depiction of the effects of natural light on objects and surfaces.
• Notable impressionist artists:
  • Claude Monet
    • A founder of French Impressionist painting and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting
  • Edgar Degas
    • A French artist celebrated for his unique compositions, he is identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers.
  • Pierre-Auguste Renoir
    • A French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. Celebrated beauty and especially feminine sensuality
  • Camille Pissarro
    • A Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter known for his landscapes of the French countryside
  • Berthe Morisot
    • A painter and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists
• Techniques:
  • En plein air: Painting outdoors to directly observe and capture the effects of light and atmosphere.
  • Broken color: Applying colors in small, separate strokes to create a vibrant and luminous effect when viewed from a distance.
  • Short, choppy brushstrokes: Used to capture the fleeting quality of light and movement.
• Impressionism sought to break away from traditional academic painting by focusing on subjective perception and the ephemeral qualities of light and color.

Expressionism

• Expressionism emerged in Germany in the early 20th century as a response to the increasing alienation and anxieties of modern life.
• Expressionist artists sought to express inner emotions and subjective experiences through bold distortions, exaggerated colors, and symbolic imagery.
• Key characteristics include:
  • Emphasis on conveying intense emotions and psychological states.
  • Use of distortion, exaggeration, and abstraction to express inner feelings.
  • Bold and non-naturalistic use of color.
  • Exploration of themes such as alienation, anxiety, and social commentary.
  • Rejection of traditional artistic conventions in favor of individual expression.
• Notable expressionist artists:
  • Edvard Munch
    • A Norwegian painter whose intensely evocative treatment of psychological themes built upon some of the main tenets of late 19th-century Symbolism and greatly influenced German Expressionism in the early 20th century
  • Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
    • A German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke
  • Wassily Kandinsky
    • A Russian painter and art theorist, credited with painting one of the first recognized purely abstract works
  • Emil Nolde
    • A German-Danish expressionist painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and is considered to be one of the great watercolor painters of the 20th century.
  • Franz Marc
    • A German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of the German Expressionist movement.
• Techniques:
  • Distortion and exaggeration: Intentionally distorting forms and proportions to express emotional intensity.
  • Non-naturalistic color: Using colors in a subjective and symbolic way to convey mood and emotion.
  • Bold brushwork: Applying paint in thick, gestural strokes to create a sense of urgency and emotional intensity.
• Expressionism sought to challenge traditional notions of beauty and representation by prioritizing subjective expression and emotional impact over objective accuracy.

Comparison

• Subject matter:
  • Impressionism focused on capturing the external world and the fleeting effects of light and color in landscapes and everyday scenes.
  • Expressionism focused on expressing inner emotions, psychological states, and subjective experiences through distortion and abstraction.
• Color & Technique:
  • Impressionism used pure, unmixed colors applied in small strokes to capture the play of light and movement.
  • Expressionism used bold, non-naturalistic colors applied in thick, gestural strokes to convey emotional intensity.
• Goal:
  • Impressionism aimed to capture the immediate sensory experience of the world.
  • Expressionism aimed to express inner emotions and subjective experiences.
• Influence:
  • Impressionism paved the way for modern art by challenging traditional academic conventions and emphasizing subjective perception.
  • Expressionism influenced various art movements, including Fauvism, Cubism, and Surrealism, and continues to inspire artists seeking to express the complexities of human emotion and experience.

Conclusion

• Impressionism and Expressionism were both revolutionary art movements that challenged traditional artistic norms and paved the way for modern art. While Impressionism sought to capture the fleeting beauty of the external world, Expressionism delved into the depths of human emotion and subjective experience. Both movements left a lasting impact on the development of art history and continue to be celebrated for their innovative approaches and enduring power.