This document provides an overview of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism for a high school art class. It defines the objectives and standards being covered, which relate to creativity, interpreting artworks, and understanding art in its historical context. It then discusses key Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and their seminal works. Examples are given of how Impressionists aimed to capture fleeting moments outdoors, while Post-Impressionists emphasized symbolic content and abstract qualities. The document concludes by asking students to consider similarities and differences between the two movements.

1. IMPRESSIONISM
Beginning Drawing and
Painting
Ms. Garcia

2. OBJECTIVES & CA CONTENT
STANDARDS
• Grades: 9-12th, Beginning Drawing and Painting
• CREATING—Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and
work.
• 1.1 Enduring Understanding: Creativity and innovative thinking are essential life
skills that can be developed
• 1.2 Enduring Understanding: Artists and designers shape artistic investigations,
following or breaking with traditions in pursuit of creative art making goals.
• RESPONDING—Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
• CONNECTING—Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with
societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

3. LOVING VINCENT
(2017)
• Vincent Van Gogh was one of the most
well known painters from Post
Impressionism
• Loving Vincent (2017) was the worlds
first painted featured film
• Movies nowadays are done digitally
and all on computers
• The entire movie was hand painted
frame by frame by a team of people
• A clip of the making of the movie in the
link below
• https://youtu.be/xi_wwI2pCtY

4. CONSIDER THE
FOLLOWING…
• What do you think Vincent Van Gogh, and
Claude Monet would think of paintings being
used as movies!?
• How was this form a way of “breaking the
rules” from the original form of films?
• Do you think Impressionists and Post
Impressionists would enjoy such a technology
advancement mixed with traditional painting?

5. WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: THE STORY
OF CLAUDE MONET
• Impression, Sunrise (1872) was displayed in the
“Exhibition of Impressionists” in Paris, April, 1874
• Also known as Salon des Refusés (Exhibition of
Rejects)
• painting is credited for inspiring the name of the
Impressionist movement
• The term was given by a critic who was insulting
the work in the exhibition but Monet kept the
name afterwards since it described exactly what he
was doing in his painting
• https://youtu.be/nesTk_6j-0c

6. WHAT IMPRESSIONISTS WERE
TRYING TO ACHIEVE
• We’re going against the traditional art academy
• Their emphasis was on light and it’s quality
• Painted “plein air” which means outside painting, and this was helpful to capture
specific times of day
• Begun and completed paintings outdoors, used smaller canvases that they could
carry anywhere
• Wanted to capture a fleeting moment in time
• More lively and colorful/ looser brushwork, bright colors

7. CASE OF IMPRESSIONISM VIDEO
• https://youtu.be/_tw51Eh9vcw
• The following link is on the Impressionist art movement and more information on
why it came about and the meaning behind the art movement

8. WHAT POST IMPRESSIONIST WERE
TRYING TO ACHIEVE
• French art movement from 1886-1905
• Reaction against Impressionist concern of
naturalistic depiction of light and color
• Broad emphasis on abstract qualities or
symbolic content
• Movement was led by Paul Gauguin, Vincent
Van Gogh, and Georges Seurat
• Focus was on changing color from being
absolute and “realistic “ to the setting they were
depicting

9. THE LIFE OF VINCENT VAN
GOGH
• Was a Dutch post Impressionist painter
• In a decade he created 2,100 artworks
• 860 of those were oil paintings were oil paintings he made the last two
years of his life
• His paintings include landscapes, still lives, portraits, and self portraits
• All characterized by bold and dramatic colors, impulsive and expressive
brushwork
• He wasn’t commercially successful and would struggle with poverty and
depression
• He had a younger brother Theo who he’s write to and Theo would
financially support him with buying him his paints and other art supplies
• Van Gogh was successful after his passing

10. NIGHT CAFÉ
PAINTING
• Van Gogh painted this in
September,1888
• Currently held at Yale university in New
Haven, Connecticut
• Van Gogh painted this with unease, it
was for his point of view
• The bright reds and yellows were to
create a feeling of unease in the café
• The off perspective also creates an
uneasy/questionable atmosphere
• Does the Night Café make you feel any
of what Van Gogh was trying to
achieve?

11. THR STARRY NIGHT
PAINTING
• Painted in June 1889
• Depicts the view from the room Van Gogh
was staying in at Saint Remy de Provence,
before the sunrise, and added imaginary
village
• One of the most recognized paintings in
western art
• Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo,
“Through the iron barred window, I can
see an enclosed square of wheat … above
which in the morning, I watch the sun rise
in all its glory.”
• Some people interpret the two large
mountains as Van Gogh and his brother
Theo together

12. VAN GOGH’S WORK
THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS
• Here are some stats of how many
paintings Van Gogh made each year
and the exact locations where he
painted the masterpieces
• Van Gogh sold only 2 paintings in his
entire lifetime
• He sold a few drawings as well

13. VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE VAN GOGH
MUSEUM IN NETHERLANDS
• These links will guide you throughout he Van Gogh museum virtual tour, it’s in 4 parts
• Part 1 of virtual tour
• https://youtu.be/SRDEmb5Eo_Y
• Part 2 of virtual tour
• https://youtu.be/j3kfiH_dacw
• Part 3 of virtual tour
• https://youtu.be/wmq2yQAEHZY
• Part 4 of virtual tour
• https://youtu.be/ASXYtcI54Pk

14. NOW YOU TRY…
• Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo during his
lifetime about his struggles and experiences with living
alone as a freelance artist
o If you could write Van Gogh a letter, what would you tell
him? Or what would you specifically want to know/ask
him?
o In your sketchbook or on a loose sheet of paper, write
Van Gogh a letter that’s a paragraph long minimum, you
can write more to him.
Think his work and the kind of works he’d paint, also
consider the amount of paintings he made/how many he
actually sold

15. REVIEW ON IMPRESSIONISM AND
POST IMPRESSIONISM
• Impressionism was trying to go away from the academy of art and their rules on the
art standards
• Wanted to capture the fleeting moment in time and question the invention of the
camera
• Carried paintings and art supplies with them as they worked “en plein air”
• Post Impressionist were questioning Impressionism and their color/depiction of the
world
• Wanted to focus more on bold color and movement in painting

16. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING…
• What are some similarities between Impressionism and post Impressionism?
• Do you think that they fulfilled their purpose?
o With a partner, discuss why you believe they are the same or different and if they
fulfilled what they wanted to do