Impressionist Movement and influence on Modernism
The Impressionist Movement is a 19th century Modernist Art movement. It was a radical dissociation with the academic art teachings of the period. Impressionism emerged in France as an 'Avant Guarde' art style. It began alongside a number of other painters who were also exploring 'Plein-air' painting. At first the public was hostile towards the developing movement. However, they gradually came to believe that the Impressionists had captured a fresh and original vision, even if the art critics and art establishment disapproved of the new style.
Impressionist painters were interested in capturing a sense of immediacy. The subject matter of impressionism is often casual, everyday life enhanced by the fleeting effects of light and the atmosphere.
Before impressionist’s painters used neutral tones and black, grey and browns for shadows however impressionist abolished this idea and used color to create shadows. Many impressionists use purples, yellows and other colors to suggest colored shadows and reflect light in doing so impressionists have heightened the colouristic effects. Artist traditionally mixed paints on their palette to achieve a certain hue or colour before applying it to the canvas. Impressionist broke this conventional formula by painting pure, unmixed colors directly on the canvas. Upon viewing this each hue is applied separately but would visually combine together in the human eye giving the sensation of flickering light and vibrant atmosphere. |
Impressionists were concerned with the contrast between light and dark.
Impressionist Artwork closeup
Shows the brush strokes as pure, unmixed colours in individual brushstrokes The term “Impressionism” was first applied to their style of painting because of the sketchy and unfinished look. Critics used the term "Impressionism" as an insult to the art form, as it implied that the works were only an impression of an artwork.
The term “Impressionism” was first applied to their style of painting because of the sketchy and unfinished look. |
Critics used the term "Impressionism" as an insult to the art form, as it implied that the works were only an impression of an artwork. The name derives from Monet's work "impression, Sunrise" which provoked critics to coin the term in a satirical review.
Impressionist painting characteristics include relatively small, thin, yet mpressionist rejected the highly finished surfaces of conventional previous western paintings, this created a visual language of bright rapidly applied color to capture light and atmosphere. Impressionists developed a way of applying paint that has been called “Broken color” or “broken brush strokes.” The paint is applied in strokes of color closely applied next to each other which creates a rough and irregular surface texture. Impressionist apply paint in thick stroked that creates rough and uneven edges that mimic the texture of their subject matter as well as captures and reflects light. |
Today, Impressionist paintings are highly valued in society as a key contributor in the artistic development. The former criticism towards the art style is no longer present except in some personal views of the movement. The art style is highly valued and can be seen as a historical documentation of the developing artistic movements throughout recent history. Impressionism can be seen as a period of transcension from conventional methods of art style to modernism. It is highly valuable as a significant involvement in the development of Artistic movement into modernism.
Impressionist PaintingWater Lily Pond
Claude Monet (1840-1926) Date: 1899 Movement: Impressionism Theme: Impressionism Technique: Oil on Canvas |