Impressionism is an art movement within painting that emerged in France in the 1860s. The first time impressionist works were shown to the public was at the Salon des Refusés in 1863. It is said that the artists who dedicated themselves to impressionism focused on painting the passage of time and celebrated the landscape seen in natural light. They were fascinated by the relationship between light and color and painted freely in pure primary colors. They were also often radical in their choice of subjects. They avoided the classical historical, religious, and romantic direction and instead chose to focus on landscapes and scenes from everyday life.
The Concept of Impressionism
The concept of impressionism itself has no clear ideology but is rather regarded as a common direction among several artists, including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, and Berthe Morisot. It was the artist Manet who used the term for the first time. However, impressionism is most often associated with Claude Monet's famous work named Impression, soleil levant – in English, Impression, Sunrise. The painting depicts a sunrise over the port of Le Havre. Two other famous works by Monet are La Maison Dans Les Roses and On the Boat.
Capturing the Small Moments of Everyday Life
A large part of the impressionist art style was about capturing the small moments of everyday life that constantly flash by. They wanted to depict the social and physical border region in urban life during the 19th century. This contributed to making this border region a significant recreational environment for all city dwellers. Today, it can be seen that impressionism was the starting point for modern outdoor life.
The Impressionist Artwork
When you observe the impressionist artwork, you get to experience the speed of changes in the sky, loving moments between loved ones, and the superficial and carefree without life's difficulties. The artworks depict the joy that all people long for.
Today, these paintings are loved for this very reason, but it has not always been so. In the beginning, not everyone liked them. Some thought the paintings looked more like sketches than finished artworks. The colors were not mixed to fit together, and the pure colors had to coexist. This was different from the art people were used to. Many also found it difficult to accept the impact of light on the landscape. The impressionists often chose to paint on clear, sunny afternoons instead of at dusk or early in the morning.
Throughout history, artists had tried to hide the technique behind the painting, but not anymore. Now they dared to let pure, unmixed colors meet without blending. This is the foundation for symbolism and, consequently, for modernism.
A work painted by the impressionist artist Jacob Mares. The painting depicts his daughter.
The First Impressionist Exhibition
In 1874, the first impressionist exhibition was held. Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Sisley participated and formed a close-knit group. However, their exhibitions did not achieve much success as the artists did not agree on who should be allowed to exhibit. Degas wanted conventional painters to participate to make the exhibitions more accessible to the public, but the others did not agree. Manet never exhibited with them, even though his work had a significant influence on impressionist art.
The Art Style Became Fragmented
By the 1880s, people had become accustomed to the unique character of impressionism, and the movement had now gained recognition and success. Over time, however, the artworks became less uniform, and soon they no longer had a common style. Monet continued to carefully analyze his visual impressions, while Sisley continued to paint his landscapes. Renoir stood out with his style that emphasized the line, and he soon became successful as a portrait artist and began painting figure paintings.
Buy Impressionist Art from Posterton
At Posterton, you will find posters with world-famous works created by some of the most renowned artists in art history. Among them is the impressionist artist Claude Monet, but also artists like Frida Kahlo, William Morris, and Paul Klee. Explore our entire range of high-quality posters here.