Elena Rossi
Impressionism, a term used to describe the work produced in the late 19th century, was influenced by various innovations. The emergence of photography played a pivotal role, as it encouraged painters to explore aspects like colour, which photographs lacked. Photography also altered the subjects deemed worthy of artistic attention, with Impressionists capturing the vibrancy of urban life and the beauty of fleeting moments. The influence of Japanese ukiyo-e art prints, or Japonism, contributed to the snapshot angles and unconventional compositions often seen in Impressionist works. The rise of railway travel and urbanisation further inspired Impressionists to depict landscapes and scenes of modern life, incorporating innovative compositions, light effects, and vibrant colours. These artists, including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas, embraced freedom from traditional academic restrictions, utilising loose brushwork and playful lighting to capture their subjective perceptions of the world around them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Subject matter | The Impressionists rejected traditional academic subject matter, instead focusing on contemporary scenes and everyday life |
| Composition | Less formal and contrived than traditional compositions, with a focus on capturing moments in time and the effects of light |
| Colour | Bright, pure, and unblended colours, with shadows and highlights rendered in colour rather than neutral shades |
| Brushstrokes | Visible, short, and broad brushstrokes, often using the wet-on-wet technique to create softer edges and colour blending |
| Style | Avant-garde, loose, and spontaneous, with a focus on capturing impressions of light and its shifting influence |
| Technology | Influenced by the emergence of photography and Japanese ukiyo-e art prints |
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What You'll Learn
Photography's influence on Impressionism
The invention of photography in 1839 by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, who created the first permanent method of recording an image, was one of the most popular innovations of the century. This new medium of capturing reality changed the way artists saw the world and created new artistic opportunities. The Impressionist movement, which emerged in the late 19th century, was influenced by this new technology.
Photography's ability to capture a '\co: 0,1,4,12>snapshot' of ordinary people doing everyday things inspired Impressionists to do the same. They focused on depicting contemporary life and the transient effects of light and colour, which was a radical departure from the historical, biblical, and allegorical subjects that were favoured at the time. The Impressionists sought to express their perceptions of nature rather than create exact representations, and photography allowed them to do so by providing a new way of examining light, colour, and asymmetrical, cropped spaces.
The work of photographers like Gustave Le Gray, Eugène Cuvelier, Henri Le Secq, Olympe Aguado, Charles Marville, and Félix Nadar influenced the Impressionists to devise a new way of looking at the world. For example, Edgar Degas was intrigued by the ability of photography to capture a moment in time and pursued photography himself. Monet's work, such as La Seine à Lavacourt, Débâcle, also demonstrates this interest in capturing a moment, as he recorded minute changes to a scene, such as light reflecting against breaking ice and the movement of the river.
Photography also influenced the composition and techniques of Impressionist paintings. The cropped compositions in many of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot's Normandy views, for example, suggest his awareness of early photographers' compositional strategies. Additionally, the loose brushwork and casual style of Impressionist paintings can be seen as a response to the spontaneity and immediacy of photography. The Impressionists' use of short, broken brushstrokes, pure unblended colours, and an emphasis on light and colour are all elements that set them apart from the more sober colours and traditional subject matter of Academic painting.
Furthermore, photography influenced the business of art. Some artists lost commissions for intricate portraits as people opted for studio photographs instead. However, photographs also assisted in the portraiture painting process, as artists could use shorter sittings and photographs to paint portraits, rather than tedious live sittings with models.
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The emergence of plein air painting
Plein air painting, or painting "in the open air", was popularized by Impressionists in the 19th century. However, the practice predates the movement, with some plein air painting occurring during the Renaissance and earlier generations of artists, such as English Romantic painter John Constable and the Barbizon School in France, also painting outdoors. The Barbizon School, which included Charles-François Daubigny and Théodore Rousseau, used en plein air to depict the changing appearance of light as weather conditions altered.
The Impressionists, however, became synonymous with open-air painting, with the movement's focus on light and atmosphere. French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir advocated plein air painting, and much of their work was done outdoors. Monet, for example, understood that to truly capture the likeness of an outside setting, he had to be outside. Monet was also the first to pioneer a serial approach, creating sequences of paintings from the early 1880s by revisiting the same locations at different times of day or in different seasons.
The development of painting materials also played a role in the emergence of plein air painting. In the 1830s, artists still mixed their own paints from raw pigments, which made for inconvenient portability and confined most painting to the studio. However, in 1841, American portraitist John G. Rand invented the collapsible paint tube, making it easier for artists to take their materials outdoors. This was further improved in the 1860s with the invention of tubes of oil paint, allowing en plein air painting to become more viable for artists.
The Impressionists also expanded the subject matter of en plein air painting, often depicting the leisure hours of the middle class. They also favoured a more casual and less contrived disposition of objects within the picture frame, reflecting their interest in accurately and objectively recording contemporary life. This shift in subject matter was also influenced by the emergence of photography, which made it possible for all kinds of people, scenes, and landscapes to be preserved in pictorial form. Photography also taught painters the art of spontaneous composition, influencing the Impressionists' focus on capturing a moment in time.
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The use of colour and light
Impressionism emerged in France in the late nineteenth century as a rejection of the strict restrictions of academic art. The Impressionists were interested in accurately and objectively recording contemporary life and the transient effects of light and colour. They sought to express their perceptions of nature, rather than create exact representations. This allowed artists to depict subjectively what they saw with their "tacit imperatives of taste and conscience".
The Impressionists' use of colour and light was influenced by their desire to capture the fleeting nature of life and employ inventive techniques. They used short, broad paintbrush strokes to swiftly convey the general idea of the subject rather than its finer details. Colours were mixed as little as possible and applied side by side. All-out Impressionism avoids using black paint, instead using complementary colours to create greys and gloomy tones. The wet-on-wet painting technique, also known as the impasto technique, involves applying layers of wet paint without waiting for each stroke to dry. This method allows for more innovative colour mixing and looser, softer edges.
The Impressionists also embraced new subject matter, such as café scenes, side streets, bustling squares, and landscapes with railways and factories. This shift in subject matter was influenced by the emergence of photography, which made it possible for all kinds of people, scenes, buildings, and landscapes to be preserved in pictorial form. Photography also encouraged painters to exploit aspects of the painting medium, like colour, which photography lacked at the time.
The Impressionists' use of colour and light was a radical departure from the sober colours and intricate details of Academic painting. Their loose brushwork and bright colours gave an effect of spontaneity and effortlessness that masked their carefully constructed compositions. This seemingly casual style became widely accepted as a new language with which to depict modern life.
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Subjectivity and artistic freedom
Impressionist painters were known for their radical departure from the traditional artistic norms of their time, embracing a model of freedom and subjectivity that encouraged artistic experimentation. This movement emerged in the late nineteenth century, challenging the strict restrictions of academic art and its emphasis on historical, mythical, and allegorical subjects.
Impressionists, such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas, among others, sought to capture the transient moments and effects of light and colour in their surroundings. They prioritised the subjective impression of light and its shifting influence over realistic portrayals. This freedom to explore and emphasise colour and light resulted in innovative compositions, with short, broad brushstrokes, pure colours, and an overall effect of spontaneity.
The Impressionists' artistic freedom extended beyond their techniques to their choice of subjects as well. They rejected the traditional academic focus on historical or mythological subjects, instead turning their attention to contemporary life and their immediate environment. This shift was influenced by the rise of photography, which made it possible to capture and preserve a variety of subjects and scenes in pictorial form. Photography encouraged painters to explore aspects like colour, which was lacking in early photography, and to embrace the subjective nature of their art form.
The Impressionists' embrace of subjectivity and artistic freedom also led them to incorporate new technologies and ideas into their work. They were no longer bound by the opinions of established institutions like the Salon and were free to explore and innovate. This openness to innovation is evident in their use of bright colours, playful lighting, and the inclusion of motifs related to industrialization, such as railways and factories.
Furthermore, the Impressionists' model of freedom and subjectivity inspired later artists to push the boundaries even further. This influence can be seen in the work of post-Impressionists like Vincent van Gogh and the development of subsequent art movements such as Fauvism, Expressionism, and Surrealism, each building upon the principles of artistic freedom and innovation established by the Impressionists.
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Influence of Japanese ukiyo-e art prints
Japanese ukiyo-e art prints had a profound influence on the Impressionist movement, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ukiyo-e, which translates as "pictures of the floating world," was a popular genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th to 19th centuries. It featured woodblock prints and paintings depicting a variety of subjects, including landscapes, folk tales, and everyday life.
The influx of Japanese art, including ukiyo-e prints, into Europe and the US in the mid-to-late 19th century captivated many Impressionist artists. They were drawn to the vibrant colours, unique compositional techniques, and focus on everyday subjects in ukiyo-e. This influence can be seen in the work of several Impressionist artists.
Edgar Degas, for instance, was an avid collector of Japanese ukiyo-e prints, and his paintings reflect the influence of these prints in the asymmetrical and diagonal placement of figures. He studied Hokusai's Manga, which inspired him to observe and capture the essence of daily life. Vincent van Gogh was also deeply influenced by ukiyo-e, collecting numerous prints and incorporating Japanese stylistic features into his work. His painting, "Japonaiserie: Flowering Plum Tree," is directly inspired by Utagawa Hiroshige’s "Plum Garden at Kameido."
Paul Gauguin's work also reflects Japanese influences, particularly in his use of flat colours and the elimination of shadows, which is characteristic of ukiyo-e prints. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's work demonstrates an interest in ukiyo-e's flat colours, outlined forms, and subject matter, often depicting performers and prostitutes. Mary Cassatt, an American Impressionist, was inspired by the flat planes and simple lines of ukiyo-e, experimenting with printmaking techniques and combining Japanese influences with her intimate depictions of women's lives.
The influence of ukiyo-e on these artists demonstrates how Japanese art played a significant role in shaping the innovative style of Impressionist painters, offering them new perspectives on composition, colour, and subject matter.
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