Everything You Want to Know About the Impressionist Style
Impressionism was a form of art that began in the late 1800's in France. This lens will introduce you to the major elements of Impressionist form, some of the artists and some of their works.
Broad, Thick Strokes
Divided Color
The pattern of lines and strokes is one of Impressionism's most defining characteristics. In the painting below, Monet employs broad, short brushstrokes and does not mix colors through overlapping strokes. Each line represents a color.
Monet: Water Lilies
Color Over Form
Another staple of Impressionist painting is the focus on color rather than form. The founders of the Impressionist style wanted to be true to the real image that the eye sees. They argued that we assign forms and shapes to objects in our brain, not in our eye. So the pure image that our eye sees is only color.
This fact is clearly evident in the painting below again by Monet. The boat is only distinguishable by its dark color, and none of the objects have outlines or clear forms.
This fact is clearly evident in the painting below again by Monet. The boat is only distinguishable by its dark color, and none of the objects have outlines or clear forms.
Monet: Impression: soleil levant
Impressionist Prints
These books have many beautiful prints of Impressionist paintings.
Impressionism: 50 Paintings You Should Know
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/20/2009) 
Impressionism: Art, Leisure, and Parisian Society
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 12/20/2009)
The Great Book of French Impressionism
Amazon Price: $57.37 (as of 12/20/2009)
Impressionist Painters
A few of the big names you should know
- Claude Monet: Most consider him THE impressionist painter.
- Pierre-Auguste Renior: Painted happy people in the impressionist form.
- Paul Cézanne: His early works were Impressionist, then he got into Cubism and inspired Picasso. One of my favorites.
- Edgar Degas: Obsessed with ballerinas, loosely affiliated with the Impressionists.
- Mary Cassatt: An American Impressionist, she loved to paint mothers with their children.
Renoir: Le Moulin de la Galette
Cézanne: Jas de Bouffin
Degas: Dancer with a Bouquet of Flowers (Star of the Ballet)
Cassatt: Nurse Reading to a Little Girl
by cactusdo
Back to my USA home after two years as a volunteer in Belgium and France, found a lovely wife and we're figuring out life together. (more)
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