This document discusses the emergence of modernism and impressionism in art between 1870-1914. It provides context for changes in society like the industrial revolution that led artists to move away from realistic academic styles. Impressionism arose in the 1860s, focusing on capturing fleeting effects of light and nature outdoors. Post-impressionism further developed personal styles abstracting from reality using geometric shapes. The document outlines the progression from realistic reproduction to more abstract styles that still reference reality to fully abstract works using new visual languages.