Impressionism

Impressionism

Impressionism started in the mid-eighteenth century in Paris, France. Unlike other art, the impressionists painted most of their paintings outside (known as ‘en plein air) and would often take their materials and draw what they see. They like to portray natural subject such as tress, fields and oceans. The impressionists painted the everyday people like the local tavern owner, workers and among others rather than painting religious figures or royalty. The impressionists often used their family or friends in their paintings as their subjects. Before the impressionism, the painters usually paint the main subject in the center of the painting and of course it was the first thing that the viewer looked at and the background wasn’t that nearly important in a panting. But the impressionists often put more emphasis on the scene rather on the person or main subject of the painting. They did this by painting the main subject off to the side than paint it in the center of the painting. How the impressionists paint, the painting looks like a photo because photography doesn’t capture the main subject only but even what there is around the main subject. The photography started in the mid-eighteenth century and it influenced the impressionists how they think and draw.

The style was called impressionism because of Monet’s painting ‘Impression Sunrise’. The impressionists used many short brush strokes, applying thick paint to create the idea or impression of a subject. An artist, Vincent Van Gogh is good example of this technique. In the painting ‘Starry Night over the Rhone’ one can notice the short brush strokes and also the painting is so thick that the viewer can see the shadows from the paint. At first, when someone go and stand in front of the painting all the viewer can see is bunch of paint spots because of the quick short brush strokes. But if the viewer back away from the painting, can see the whole detailed scenery. Impressionism is characterized by its interest in the effects of light. The way light changed the shadows and colours of the subjects was an interest to the impressionists. Claude Monet often painted in series, painted many pictures of the same subject at different time of day and in different seasons to see how the lighting affected his paintings.

 A clear example of Monet’s paintings is ‘Rouen Cathedral’; one can see how

how the lighting changed the colours that Monet used.

Rouen Cathedral

Claude Monet 

References:

Art Smarts 4 Kids: Impressionism. 2013. Art Smarts 4 Kids: Impressionism. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.artsmarts4kids.blogspot.com/2007/09/impressionism.html. [Accessed 01 April 2013]