Paris in the 19th century underwent a massive reconstruction that transformed it into a modern metropolis of broad boulevards lined with ornate buildings, parks, and places of entertainment. Impressionism emerged during this period, pioneered by artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Degas. They would meet at cafes like the Cafe Guerbois to discuss their works. Impressionist paintings were characterized by thick, short brushstrokes; an emphasis on capturing fleeting moments and impressions rather than details; and the use of vibrant, unmixed colors. The Impressionists also favored painting outdoors and depicting mundane scenes of everyday life. Their work marked a radical departure from tradition and had a liber

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6. PARIS was a city unlike any other in Europe, uniquely MODERN.
Where once there had been a cramped medieval town center,
the 19th Century reconstruction of Paris resulted in broad
metropolis of boulevards lined with ornate buildings, garden
parks, cafes, restaurants, and theaters.

7. Claude Monet
Edgar Degas
Paul Cezanne
Pierre-August Renoir
Camille
Pissarro
Berthe Morrison

10. Eugene Delacroix, Liberty leading the people, 1830

11. The Cafe Guerbois, where Edouard Manet and the
Impressionists met to discuss their work.

12. The 1st exhibit of
the Impressionists
was held at the
studio of
photographer/jou
rnalist Felix Nadar
in 1874

14. Technique… The “Signature” Character of Impressionism.
•Thick and short brush strokes (impasto)
•Capture the essence of the subject and create an impression
•No much details
•Colors are juxtaposed side-by-side with as few mixing as possible to
create a vibrant color temperature where the colors mix in the eye of
the beholder.
•Grays and dark colors are produced by mixing complementary colors
•No use of black
•Soft subject edges
•Wet paint is applied into wet paint of another color
•Surfaces are often opaque.

15. •Natural light highlighted with close attention to
the reflection of colors from one object to
another.
In morning scenes, shadows are boldly painted
with the blue of the sky or whatever the color of
the objected where they are cast, providing a
sense of freshness not represented in earlier
realist styles.
•Depicting something like a photographic stolen
•Spontaneous expression
•Emotional appeal
•The Impressionists loved painting out of doors
(En Plein Air). The ever-changing face of nature
lent itself perfectly to their interests in capturing
fleeting moments of light and color.

16. Monet, Cathedral of Rouen,
1894

17. Monet, Woman
with a parasol,
1875

18. Monet, Woman
with a parasol,
1875

19. Monet, Breakfast on the grass, 1865-1866

20. Themes of the Impressionism:
•Mundane subjects
•The Impressionists liked to paint scenes of everyday life, of
contemporary people at work and play.
•Suburban gardens and riverside paths, rural parks and woodlands
•Landscape as Impression
•Nature is a social experience.
•Impressionist’s landscapes almost always have a human presence. Even
if people are absent, there frequently is something – a boat, or even a
haystack – to give a sign of human activity.

21. Manet, Bar of the Folies-Bergeres, 1881-1882

22. Renoir, La Grenoulliere, 1869

23. Renoir, Luncheon of the boating party, 1880-1881

25. Conclusion: Revolution of Art.
•Impressionism radical departure from tradition.
•When the Impressionists began painting, Ideals of art were not only
controlled, but also looked down upon and rejected by academic
institutions
Even through the hardships, the Impressionists did not give up on the
art that they believed in.
•By the end of the Impressionists period, artists felt liberated from strict
rules or composition, subject matter and technique.
“ Impressionism is at the root of all modern art, because it was the first
movement that managed to free itself from preconceived ideas, and
because it changed not only the way life was depicted but the way life
was seen” – F. Salvi