Impressionist Movement

An Introduction

The Impressionist Movement, which emerged in the early years of the nineteenth century is a direct product of the French Revolution. Impressionists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley soured on materialism and commercialism following the death of Robespierre. They instead sought to make art more personal and painted realistic scenes of everyday life, often outside. Their paintings would often be misinterpreted as being fakes, and they were also routinely dismissed by their contemporaries as artists lacking a true understanding of style.

It was not until much later that the Impressionist movement would receive its due, with the development of the style of impressionism by Claude Monet. Although he was originally from Louvre in Paris, Monet had made his mark on the art scene through an intense study of natural landscapes in the southwestern part of France. In particular, he was impressed by the beauty of the landscape surrounding Eyrignac, in the region of Lorraine. After studying it, Monet decided to create a series of paintings which showcased the landscape, and their accompanying scenes in the most original and expressive way possible. He named his group after this particular landscape and called his painting Impressionism.

The Impressionist movement continues to influence modern art today, with many modern artists painting impressionist style paintings on canvas. Many modern artists, however, have distanced themselves from the Impressionist group and prefer to create meaningful works which address more to the psychological side of the human mind. Many modern artists who feature paintings of nature, such as the likes of Paul Gauguin, trace their influences back to the Impressionists. In fact, many artists who are best known for contemporary art have actually studied Impressionist art, or at least have strong connections to the Impressionism and like to paint nature scenes and landscapes. As well as being well-known painters, many modern artists who are acknowledged for their impressionist work also feature paintings of animals and enjoy portraying natural scenes and landscapes.

More on Impressionist Paintings.

More on Claude Monet.