ART HISTORY
IMPRESSIONISM
Impressionism is an artistic movement that emerged in the 19th Century,
born from the collaboration of several artists. First considered
scandalous, their works will finally be recognized and appreciated
several decades after they were painted.
Preceded by Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism,Impressionism shows an evolution in the history of art. Thanks to the invention of the flexible tube of paint, artists can now paint Landscapes and everyday situations, to the detriment of biblical scenes and historical subjects.
The main figures of Impressionism are Cezanne, Degas,Manet,Monet, Renior ,Van Gago , Sisley, Morisot and Nadar.
They formed the Cooperative and Anonymous Association of Painters,
Sculptors and Engravers and organize their own exhibition in 1874.
In an article of the French newspaper Le Charivari, the critic and humorist Louis Leroy made a play on words with the title of Mone’s
"Impression, Sunrise", and called the artists impressionists. The term
will be quickly picked up by the public and the artists themselves.
What characterized Impressionism was the willingness of artists to paint the living, like Landscapes, such a Monet water liliess and Cézanne ’s "Mont sainte victoire", scenes of daily life, such as Renior’s "The ball at the moulin de la galette in montmartre" or Van Gegos "Memory of the garden at Etten". These artists often painted in the open air and attached importance to lighting effects.
Manet summarized very well the desire to seize the moment and to represent
the contemporary world with this formula: "I paint what I see, not what
others like to see".
