Impressionism
Beyond shadow and form,
an age of color and light begins to bloom.
Let’s ask the muses!
What is the Impressionism?
Major periods and regions
1870s-1880s, French
photograph
exhibition
Monet
There are many reasons Impressionism was born, but one of the most commonly discussed is the development of photography. Thanks to the technology introduced by Louis Daguerre, people became able to record landscapes and figures in far greater detail than before. As a result, painting was finally freed—at least in part—from its role of “accurately documenting reality.” That’s when we discovered a new possibility: painting the feeling of a fleeting moment itself.
Point①
They sought to capture changes
in light, atmosphere, and color
Monet
The very same scenery can look completely different in the morning and at sunset, don’t you think? Impressionist painters became fascinated by those ever-changing moments. They would paint the same place again and again across different seasons and times of day, enjoying the subtle shifts in color and light.
Point②
They left the studio behind
and actively painted outdoors
Renoir
Painters had sketched outdoors long before Impressionism, but by the late 19th century, convenient tools like paint tubes had become widely available, making it possible to complete oil paintings outside as well. That’s why so many Impressionists tried to paint natural light exactly as they saw it. Of course, there were still some who preferred quietly working indoors too!
Point③
Though they seemed gentle,
they were actually a fiercely avant-garde art group
Degas
In France at the time, artists weren’t considered legitimate unless they were accepted into the government-sponsored official exhibitions. Honestly, who did those judges think they were, deciding what counted as “good” art? So the painters who found that system ridiculous formed their own group where they could create the art they truly wanted. That’s what Impressionism was all about. Really, they should’ve stopped making such a fuss over pointless things.
This is the Impressionism piece!
Impression, Sunrise
One of the works exhibited at an independent exhibition funded by painters such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The paintings shown there differed greatly from the classical style that dominated at the time, drawing both praise and criticism. In particular, the critic Louis Leroy harshly mocked them, calling the works “nothing more than impressions.” However, Monet and the others embraced the insult and began calling themselves the “Impressionists.” From then on, their exhibitions would become known as the “Impressionist Exhibitions.”
Artist
Claude Monet
Year
1872
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimension
48 cm x 63 cm
Collection
Marmottan Monet Museum (France)
Conclusion
"Impressionism" is...
An artistic movement that cherishedfleeting light, vibrant color,
and freedom.