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