Historic Analysis of Impressionist Painting
Historic Analysis of Impressionist Painting
Impressionism was the most important Art movement of the nineteenth century, having a great influence on the development of Modern Art. The name impressionism itself comes from a painting ‘Impression sunrise’ created by Claude Monet (a member of the group) being influenced by Japanese Art
1863 was considered to be the start of Impressionism. However the name of the group did not appear until 1874, when the first exhibition was held. Impressionism consisted of landscapes, seascapes, snow scenes, ballet dancers, horses, everyday life and still life but the most common themes were seascapes and landscapes.
It consisted of a fairly loose group of painters who first got together because of their dissatisfaction of Academic Art and who opposed to the romantic idea that’s main purpose was to create emotional excitement. These ‘rebels’ were Claude Monet – main artist of group- Edgar Degas, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Henri Toulhouse Lautrec, Alfred Sisley and Edouard Manet – all exploring ways of showing color and light whilst painting outdoors in front of their chosen subject matter and trying to capture the constantly changing qualities and effects of natural light.
Born in Paris on the 14th of November 1840, Claude Monet was the main artist of the impressionist group. His childhood was spent in Normandy where he met the artist Boudin who influenced Monet’s paintings of landscapes and seascapes by encouraging him to paint outdoors. Pissarro, Jongkind and also influenced Monet in a subtle way. Then Monet moved back to Paris and met Bazille, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley and the rest of the impressionist group. Then in 1870 Monet married Camille Doncieux. He then went to Le Havre and because of his fear of being called into the French army, he left for England and his wife was sent after him. There Monet painted several London scenes and saw the paintings of Constable and Turner. The war ended in 1872, resulting in Monet moving back to France and setting up a house just outside Paris. Here he began a ‘fruitful’ period of paintings with Renoir, Manet and Sisley. Then in 1878 he moved and became friends with Ernest Hoschede who left his wife and children with Monet and disappeared the year after Monet’s wife died, as a result of him becoming bankrupt. Then in 1881 the original impressionist group started to...