3. 1872- mid 1800s
Emerged in the second half of 19th
century among Paris-based artists
Had a tremendous impact and influence
on the painting styles that followed, such
as neo-impressionism, post-
impressionism, fauvism, and cubism—and
even the artistic styles and movements of
today
Coined from the Claude Monet’s
Impression, soleil levant
4. The term precisely
captured what this group of
artists sought to represent
in their works: the viewer’s
momentary “impression” of
an image.
5. EUGÈNE DELACROIX
French painter
was greatly admired and emulated by
the early impressionists—specifically for
his use of expressive brushstrokes, his
emphasis on movement rather than on
clarity of form, and most of all his study of
the optical effects of color.
The Barque of Dante, contained a then
revolutionary technique that would
profoundly influence the coming
9. COLOR AND LIGHT
the impressionists painted with
freely brushed colors that conveyed
more of a visual effect than a detailed
rendering of the subject.
They used short “broken” strokes
that were intentionally made visible to
the viewer.
They also often placed pure
10. “EVERYDAY” SUBJECTS
Ventured into capturing scenes of
life around them, household objects,
landscape, seascape, houses, café,
and buildings
They presented ordinary people
seemingly caught off-guard, doing
everyday task, or at leisure or doing
nothing at all
11. PAINTING OUTDOORS
the impressionists found that
they could best capture the ever-
changing effects of light on color
by painting outdoors in natural
light
gave their works a freshness and
immediacy
12. OPEN COMPOSITION
experimented with unusual
visual angles, sizes of objects
that appeared out of
proportion, off-center
placement, and empty spaces
on the canvas.
13. THE INFLUENCE OF
PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography was in its early stages at this time
as well. As it gained popularity, photography
inspired impressionists to capture fleeting
moments of action, whether in landscapes or in
the day-to-day lives of people. But whereas
camera snapshots provided objective, true-to-
life images, the artists were able to offer a
subjective view of their subjects, expressing
their personal perceptions rather than creating
exact representations. They also had the
advantage of manipulating color, which
14. WHAT TO KNOW
1. How did the term impressionism originate? What did it mean?
2. In what country did this art movement begin, and in what period of
history?
3. What was the significance of the painting technique used by
Delacroix in the development of the impressionist style?
4. What characteristics distinguished impressionism from the art
movements of the earlier centuries?
5. how was the impressionst style influenced by the early stages of
photography?
