Impressionism is a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brushstrokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, and inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience.
Key Characteristics / Core Concepts
- Visible brushstrokes: The artist’s brushstrokes are clearly visible, creating a textured surface.
- Emphasis on light and color: Impressionist paintings focus on capturing the fleeting effects of light and color.
- Open composition: The composition is often loose and informal, with no clear focal point.
- Ordinary subject matter: Impressionists often painted everyday scenes, such as landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits.
- Movement: Impressionists sought to capture the sense of movement and change in their paintings.
How It Works / Its Function
Impressionist painters worked quickly outdoors (“en plein air”), capturing the immediate impressions of light and color on their canvases. They used a technique of broken color, applying small dabs of pure color side-by-side, allowing the viewer’s eye to mix them optically, creating a sense of vibrancy and movement.
Examples
- Claude Monet’s “Impression, soleil levant” (Impression, Sunrise), which gave the movement its name.
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s depictions of Parisian life and leisure.
- Edgar Degas’s paintings of dancers and horses.
Why is it Important? / Significance
Impressionism revolutionized painting, moving away from the strict academic styles of the time and embracing a new way of seeing and representing the world. It paved the way for many subsequent art movements and continues to inspire artists today.
Its focus on light and color, and its informal compositions, profoundly influenced subsequent artists and remains incredibly influential in visual arts.
Related Concepts
- Post-Impressionism
- Realism
- Modern Art