The landscapes or scenes of impressionism were different from previous traditional paintings. Impressionists usually depicted “the scenes of modern life, especially of bourgeois recreations” (Turner 151). For example, Edgar Degas and Gustave Caillebotte were choosing wealthy and privileged places for painting. Also, some impressionists, such as Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro, preferred painting nature, including various landscapes and river scenes (“Impressionism” Encyclopaedia Britannica).
They introduced new painting techniques, which included catching the color and shapes of the objects in nature as they appeared under natural light at that exact moment. Mostly, sunny, light, and a more brilliant spectrum of colors were used (“Impressionism” Encyclopaedia Britannica).
The play of sunlight, which was reflected from the river or other waterscapes, generating a wide range of colors was the main target to be captured by impressionists. Also, significant attention was given to natural light and the “reflection of colors from object to object” (“Impressionism” Wikipedia). The main feature of impressionism was using “discrete flecks and dabs” in a perfectly harmonized and contrasted way (“Impressionism” Encyclopaedia Britannica). Thus, they were able to reproduce the variation of the natural hue generated by the reflection of sunlight.
Impressionists used specific techniques to capture and deliver the moment. First of all, advances in technologies of that time resulted in “premixed paints in lead tubes,” which allowed artists to work more spontaneously (“Impressionism” Wikipedia). Bright colored bold brushstrokes were used to depict the true nature of the subject being painted. The thick strokes made to be visible are known as an impasto (“Impressionism” Wikipedia). Another feature of impressionism is the use of gray and dark colors in a mix with other colors. Black paint was rarely used, and usually, impressionists avoided using it. Also, the mixing of the colors was set to a minimum, allowing colors to appear alive.
In addition, impressionists focused on unique areas compared to conventional paintings. Traditionally, painters illustrated the religious topics, various mythologies of Greek and Roman times, like Death of Sardanapalus by Eugene Delacroix, while impressionism brought new topics for painting. Impressionists frequently painted the outdoors, especially beautiful nature scenes full of sunlight (“Impressionism” Wikipedia). It increased the use of natural lightings compared to the frequent use of artificial lightings in traditional paintings, such as the chiaroscuro technique in the Baroque period, such as Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi in 1621.
Also, impressionists believed that the artist’s experiences of his time should be the main topic for the art (Turner 152). Thus, impressionism includes paintings of everyday life, such as women doing the washing, bored waitress, stretching ballet dancers. Moreover, impressionists were planning the compositions less compared to structured and strict planning of the panting in a traditional art like Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, which points out specific details in the image. Impressionists were trying to focus on the visual effect rather than details (“Impressionism” Wikipedia).
Impressionism gained a mass of popularity and continues to be popular. Surprisingly, the works of impressionists were not accepted and were considered as a rebel. For example, during the Salon of Paris exhibition, most of the impressionists’ works were rejected, causing outrage among most French artists (“Impressionism” Wikipedia). The reason is that impressionism did not follow any rules of traditional art and was not meeting the requirements of that time. However, due to protest against the jury decisions in the Salon of Paris, the Emperor commanded to make a separate exhibition for rejected artworks called Salon des Refuses or Salon of the Rejected.
However, after the denial of the two subsequent requests for Salon des Refuses, impressionists decided to organize their first independent exhibition, which was held in April 1874, where Louis Leroy satirically called them “impressionists” (“Impressionism” Wikipedia). It was the first time when people could appreciate the new style of impressionism. Many works of Salon des Refuses are now considered a masterpiece, while originally criticized during the exhibition.
To conclude, impressionism is a revolutionary technique of painting, which resulted in crucial changes in art style. Impressionism rejected the traditional art rules, such as religious, mythical topics, artificial use of lights. Impressionism brought a new vision of art into the world, which included the depiction of the moment with full colors of sunlight. It tries to deliver the impression by the scene or the subject being painted. The impact of impressionism on modern art is of utmost importance.
Works Cited
Turner, Jane, editor. The Dictionary of Art. Vol. 15. Oxford University Press, 1996.
“Impressionism”. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition, 2021. Web.
“Impressionism“. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2020. Web.