Lena Rivera
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that emerged in France, characterised by an emphasis on the accurate depiction of light and its changing qualities, ordinary subject matter, and the use of colour to convey the atmosphere of a moment. Impressionist painters sought to capture fleeting moments in time and the feeling or impression of that moment, often painting outdoors to observe and depict the effects of natural light on their subjects. The main visual element in Impressionist painting is the use of light, colour, and brushwork to convey the atmosphere and fleeting qualities of a scene.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Visual elements | Use of light, colour, and brushwork to convey the atmosphere and fleeting qualities of a scene |
| Light | Focus on capturing the effects of natural light on their subjects |
| Colour | Use of pure, bright, and complementary colours, with little mixing, to create contrast and enhance the overall visual impact |
| Brushwork | Loose and quick brushstrokes to convey the spirit of the moment rather than precise details |
| Subject matter | Ordinary subjects, landscapes, and scenes from everyday life, painted from unique visual angles |
| Movement | Emphasis on capturing fleeting moments and the changing qualities of light and its effects on the surrounding environment |
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What You'll Learn
Use of light and colour
Impressionist painters sought to capture the fleeting and changing qualities of light and its effects on the surrounding environment. They often painted outdoors to observe these effects directly, focusing on capturing the impression or sensation of a subject rather than creating highly detailed and realistic representations. This resulted in paintings that appear vibrant and lively, with a sense of movement and atmosphere.
The Impressionists used light "ground" colours or even unprimed canvases. They also used hues from the light spectrum in their paintings – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. They didn't blend their colours on the canvas, instead often painting complementary colours next to each other to give the painting a more vibrant, alive feeling. This technique, known as "broken colour", creates a sense of vibrancy and adds depth and texture to the painting.
The Impressionists paid attention to the effects of light on different surfaces and objects, depicting the play of light and shadow. They often depicted scenes at different times of day, capturing the variations in light and shadow, creating a sense of movement and life in their paintings. They also used pure, vibrant colours applied side by side, allowing the viewer's eye to blend them optically, resulting in a more dynamic visual experience.
The Impressionists avoided the use of black paint, instead creating shadows with cold colours and complementaries to take advantage of the simultaneous contrast. They also used short, thick strokes of paint with little mixing, creating a sense of immediacy and spontaneity. This loose brushwork allowed artists to convey the spirit of the moment rather than precise details, giving their works a sense of immediacy and spontaneity.
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Brushwork and technique
Impressionist painters are known for their use of light and colour, as well as their innovative brushwork and technique. The Impressionist movement emerged in the 19th century, with painters such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas. These artists sought to capture the fleeting and transient effects of natural light and its impact on the surrounding environment. They often painted outdoors, directly observing and depicting these moments.
The brushwork in Impressionist paintings is characterised by loose and quick brushstrokes, with visible strands of the paintbrush. Artists used short, thick, and small strokes of bright colour, with little mixing, to create a sense of movement and spontaneity. This technique, known as "broken colour", adds depth and texture to the painting, creating a vibrant and lively effect.
Impressionists avoided using black paint, instead mixing contrasting colours to create greys and dark shades. They often placed colours side by side, allowing the viewer's eye to blend them optically, resulting in a dynamic visual experience. This technique, known as simultaneous contrast, enhances the colours, making them appear more vivid.
The use of relative colour is another important aspect of Impressionist brushwork. Artists captured objects and colours as they saw them, rather than using "local colour", which refers to the natural colour of an object in neutral, white light. This meant that water could be purple, grass could be blue, and mountains could be orange.
Impressionist painters also utilised wet-on-wet paint techniques and often painted with complementary colours to create contrast and enhance the visual impact of their work. They paid attention to the effects of light on different surfaces, capturing the play of light and shadow. The loose brushstrokes and quick techniques allowed artists to convey the spirit and impression of a moment, rather than precise details, resulting in paintings that appear vibrant and full of movement.
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Painting outdoors
The Impressionists wanted to capture a moment in time and the feeling or "impression" of that moment. To do this, they needed to be on the scene, observing and painting the fleeting and changing qualities of light and its effects on the surrounding environment directly. They were interested in capturing the light and the weather, and how light changes the perception of colour. They often painted the same subject at different times of the day, capturing the variations in light and shadow, and creating a sense of movement and life in their paintings.
Impressionist painters also often painted on unprimed canvases, using light "ground" colours as a base. They would use hues from the light spectrum—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—and often painted complementary colours next to each other to give the painting a more vibrant and alive feeling.
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Ordinary subject matter
Impressionist painters of the mid-1800s chose to depict their surroundings and what was familiar to them, such as family members, friends, homes, farms, gardens, landscapes, and pets. They embraced the ordinary and the everyday, capturing scenes from cafes, theatres, beaches, and resorts. They painted dancers rehearsing, people enjoying lunch, a family boating on a lake, workmen at their tasks, and even a couple strolling down a Paris street in the rain.
The Impressionists were interested in portraying modern people, modern life, and modern places. They were the first to paint landscapes without hiding the railroads and factories that dotted the countryside. They also concentrated on depicting Parisian buildings, streets, neighbourhoods, and public places, many of which had been recently renovated. They embraced the changes brought about by industrialization, incorporating iron bridges and railroads—the elements of progress and change—into their paintings.
The Impressionists were influenced by the work of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Eugène Boudin, who painted from nature in a direct and spontaneous style. They also drew inspiration from Japanese ukiyo-e prints, which showed a simplified way of structuring imagery and the graphic power of using bridges in compositions.
The emergence of photography also played a role in shaping Impressionist subject matter. Photography made it possible for all kinds of people, scenes, buildings, and landscapes to be preserved in pictorial form. This altered the Impressionists' sense of who and what was worthy of their attention, leading them to embrace the ordinary and the everyday in their paintings.
The Impressionists' focus on ordinary subject matter was also influenced by their desire to capture the essence of their subjects rather than the details. They used short, thick strokes of bright colour to work quickly, capturing a fleeting moment in time. This technique also contributed to the sense of movement and immediacy that characterizes Impressionist paintings.
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Influence of Japanese art
Impressionism was a late 19th-century movement that de-emphasised detail and emphasised the kinds of visual effects created by sunlight. Impressionist painters often worked outdoors and used short, thick strokes of bright colour, with little mixing. They also avoided using black paint, instead creating shadows with cold colours and complementary shades. Light was one of the most important aspects of Impressionist paintings, along with movement.
Japanese art had a profound influence on French Impressionism, shaping many of the movement's fundamental ideas. During this period, Japanese artworks flooded the Western market, and many leading Impressionists collected Japanese art. This trend is sometimes called Japonisme. Japanese woodcut prints by masters of the ukiyo-e school demonstrated that simple, everyday subjects could be presented in appealingly decorative ways.
The Impressionists were fascinated by decorative, brightly coloured floral motifs that are a recurring theme in Japanese art and design. This influence can be seen in Claude Monet's late art, such as his painting 'The Japanese Footbridge' (1899) and his water garden at Giverny, which was based around Japanese flora and fauna. Monet's 'Water Lilies' is an homage to Oriental plants and flowers.
Japanese artists often made wide-angle, panoramic scenes from a high vantage point. Many Impressionists painted wide-angle views of Paris's vast boulevards, such as Camille Pissarro's 'Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning' (1897). Other Impressionists played with the Japanese tradition of sharp angles and directional lines, as seen in Gustave Caillebotte's busy street scenes.
Ukiyo-e prints often depicted women taking part in domestic, intimate scenes, performing daily rituals. Mary Cassatt, an American friend of Edgar Degas, found a fresh approach in these Japanese woodcuts to the depiction of common events in women's lives.
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Frequently asked questions
The main visual element in Impressionist painting is the use of light and colour to convey the atmosphere and fleeting qualities of a scene.
Impressionists were fascinated by how light changes the perception of colour. They often painted outdoors to capture the effects of natural light on their subjects, and the variations in light and shadow, creating a sense of movement and life in their paintings.
Impressionists used pure, vibrant colours applied in short, thick strokes with little mixing. They often placed colours side by side, allowing the viewer's eye to blend them optically, resulting in a more dynamic visual experience.
Impressionists used loose and quick brushstrokes to convey the spirit of the moment rather than precise details. They also often painted on unprimed canvases or used light "ground" colours as a base.
