Impressionism: history

• Inspired by Edouard Manet

• Rebelled against French art establishment

• Movement received name at 1874 art exhibition

Impressionism: characteristics

• General impression of a scene or object

• use of pure, unmixed primary colors

• used small brush strokes to simulate reflected light

Impression: Sunrise by Claude Monet, 1872

Le Parliament by Claude Monet, 1904

Haystacks by Claude Monet

Haystacks: Morning snow effect by Claude Monet

Rouen Cathedral by Claude Monet, 1894

Waterlilies by Claude Monet

Waterlilies by Claude Monet

Flowers at Giverny by Claude Monet

Girl withWatering Canby Pierre Auguste Renoir

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Renoir

The Dancer by Edgar Degas

Post-Impressionism

• Redirection of Impressionism

• Reaction against “fleeting impressions”

• Restored concern for formal elements

2 groups

• Formalists– Seurat & Pointillists– Cezanne

• Colorists– Van Gogh– Gauguin– Matisse

Pointillism

• Application of paint in small dots of pure color

• also called Neo-Impressionism

Sunday Afternoon on Le Grande Jatte by Seurat

Pointillism: close-up

Cezanne

• Most significant contribution:

eliminated distinction between foreground & background; asserted flatness of the 2-dimensional canvas

Still Life by Cezanne

Still Life by Cezanne

Wheatfields by Vincent Van Gogh

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

Bedroom at Arles by Vincent Van Gogh

Sunflowersby Vincent Van Gogh

The Dance by Matisse

Blue Nude by Henri Matisse

Icarus by Henri Matisse

Impressionism: review

• General impression of a scene or object

• use of pure, unmixed primary colors

• used small brush strokes to simulate reflected light

Post-Impressionism: review

• Re-direction of Impressionism

• Reaction against “fleeting impressions”

• Restored concern for formal elements