Question

Define Impressionism and examine how it transformed conventional assumptions about style and content in painting.

After the defeat of the French by Prussia, a period of bloody civil war broke out in Paris. In what ways was Impressionism born out of this political climate? Many of the young artists who were identified as Impressionists preferred painting out-of-doors to capture the natural effects of light. What technological innovations made such an approach to painting possible? Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas, and Morisot were the founders of the group. What stylistic tendencies do they share as painters?

Answer 1

• Impressionism can be considered as first modern movement in painting.
• Impressionists aimed to capture the sensory effect of a scene and to achieve this they moved from studios to streets.
• Impressionists sought to capture the optical effects of light to convey the passage of time,weather changes in the atmosphere on their canvases.
• They recorded the effects of the 19th century renovation of Paris which focused on scenes of public leisure like cafes that conveyed a form of alienation experienced by people of the first modern metropolis.
• Monet was renowned for his mastery of natural light and painted at different times to capture changing conditions.
• Morisot,Pissarro,Sargent and Sisley also painted outside in order to create portrayals of of the nature.
• Degas on the other hand preffered more indoor paintings of modern life like people sitting in cafes,musicians,dancers etc.