Impressionism Art Movement

Study Notes

Impressionism was an influential art movement that emerged in 19th-century Paris, gaining recognition through independent exhibitions in the 1870s and 1880s.
Named after Claude Monet's painting "Impression, Sunrise," the movement was initially criticized by art critic Louis Leroy in a satirical review.
Impressionist paintings are characterized by visible brushstrokes, open compositions, and a focus on capturing the fleeting effects of light.
Light in changing qualities is often accentuated, highlighting the passage of time.
Impressionists painted everyday subjects, emphasizing movement and unusual visual angles as crucial elements of human perception.
The movement influenced art in other mediums, leading to Impressionist music and literature.

Impressionists challenged the traditional standards of academic painting, prioritizing color and brushstrokes over line, drawing inspiration from Eugène Delacroix.
They shifted the act of painting from studios to the modern world, painting landscapes and still lifes "en plein air'' to capture the fleeting effects of sunlight.
They rejected the detailed, smoothly blended approach of academic painting, using short, "broken" brushstrokes of mixed and pure colors to achieve a vibrancy of color.
While other artists like the Italian Macchiaioli and Winslow Homer explored plein-air painting, the Impressionists developed unique techniques specific to their movement.
The movement emphasized immediacy, movement, candid poses, and vibrant color, challenging established artistic conventions.
Despite initial hostility, the public gradually recognized the Impressionists' fresh and original vision, even if it didn't receive approval from art critics and the art establishment.
Impressionism's emphasis on capturing sensation over subject matter and its exploration of diverse techniques made it a forerunner to movements like Neo-Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism.

During a period of significant change in Paris, marked by Emperor Napoleon III’s rebuilding efforts and wars, the Académie des Beaux-Arts dominated the French art scene in the mid-19th century.
The Académie upheld traditional standards for French painting, favoring historical subjects, religious themes, and portraits over landscapes and still lifes.
Carefully finished images that closely mirrored reality were preferred, with somber and conservative colors and suppressed brushstrokes, concealing the artist's individuality and techniques.
The Académie hosted the annual Salon de Paris art exhibition, where artists submitted their work for consideration.
The exhibition process included a jury, and rejection by the jury could significantly impact an artist's career.
This created a conflict between the established art world, represented by the Académie, and the burgeoning Impressionist movement, which rejected traditional artistic norms.

Impressionism was an art movement that began in Paris in the late 19th century.
Impressionist painters were initially a loose group of artists who came together because they were not accepted by the established art world.
The name of the movement comes from "Impression, Sunrise" a painting by Claude Monet that was satirically reviewed by a critic in the newspaper "Le Charivari".
Key characteristics of Impressionist paintings include:
- small, thin, yet visible brush strokes.
- open composition.
- emphasis on depicting light in its changing qualities, often accentuating the effects of the passage of time.
- ordinary subjects.
- inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience.
- unusual visual angles.
Impressionism was soon followed by similar movements in other media, such as Impressionist music and Impressionist literature.
Impressionism also describes art created in this style, but outside of the late 19th century time period.

Impressionism was a radical art movement that broke the rules of academic painting.
Impressionists gave color and shades primacy over lines, drawing inspiration from artists such as Eugène Delacroix.
Impressionists started taking their artwork out of the studio and into the modern world.
They found that they could capture the effects of sunlight better by painting outdoors, a practice known as "en plein air".
They portrayed the overall visual effects of a scene rather than focusing on the smallest details.
They used short "broken" brushstrokes of mixed and pure colors, instead of smoothly blended or shaded ones.
Impressionist artists were interested in capturing the fleeting nature of life and light, often emphasizing movement.

The Académie des Beaux-Arts dominated the French art scene in the mid-19th century, upholding traditional standards for French painting.
The Académie favored historical subjects, religious themes and portraits, and preferred carefully finished images that mirrored reality.
Color was somber and conservative, and brushstrokes were concealed, hiding the artist's personality and working techniques.
The Académie held an annual art show, the Salon de Paris, and although a number of artists were exploring outdoor painting, it was not widely accepted.