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Impressionism(1860 1890)
DevelopedinParisatSalondes Independants &SalondesRefuses(Claude Monet,EdgarDegas,MaryCassat,Pierre Auguste Renoir,Edouard Manet,Berthe Morisot)

CharacteristicsofImpressionism
Artistsconcernedwithcapturingeverchangingfaceofnature,fleeting impressionspassedbeforetheeye,personsinaction Treat subject in terms of tone and not the subject itself Treatsubjectintermsoftoneandnotthesubjectitself Negativecriticism:sketchy&unfinished,slapdash,artistsarecriminals, enemiesofbeauty. Directobservation changingqualitiesoflight&colour causedby weatherconditions,timesofday&seasons Reflections&shadowsimportantsubjectmatter Monet:Trytoforgettheobjectsyouhavebeforeyou atree,house, field merelythink,heresalittlesquareofblue,anoblongofpink paint it (the objects) just as it looks to you. paintit(theobjects)justasitlookstoyou. Loosehandlingofpaint,fresh&vibrantcolour Colours appliedinquick,spontaneousbrushstrokes Useofsketchy,visiblebrushwork Commitmenttodepictionofcontemporarylife

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Historyofdevelopmentof Impressionism
FrenchAcademyatSalonworshippedchangeless qualitiesofclassicalart qualitiesofclassicalart artwasjudged accordingtostandardsofpreviousworks,notby evidenceofpersonalexperience ExhibitionatSaloncouldmakeorbreakartists reputation AccordingtoFrenchAcademy,anexhibitionisa culturalexperienceenjoyedinonesbestclothes, cultural experience enjoyed in ones best clothes liketheopera Salonpreferredaccessibleworks,likeAdolphe WilliamBourguereaus ReturnofSpring

Bourguereau:ReturnofSpring(1886)

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HistoryofImpressionism(continues)
Impressionistartistsworkoftennotincludedin Academy sSalonexhibitions decidedtohaveown Academys Salon exhibitions decided to have own exhibition=SalondesIndependants! DeclinepowerofAcademy SalonrejectedmanyImpressionistworks=Salondes Refuses!(1863) showrejectedworktopublic During18th century:emergenceofartcriticism developmentofpopularpress d l t f l TermImpressionismderogatorytermusedbycritic LouisLeroyinresponsetounfinishedqualityof Monetspainting:Impression:Sunrise(1872)

Monet:ImpressionSunrise(1872)

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InfluencesonImpressionism
1. Photography Fi t Firstpopularphotographicprocessavailable l h t hi il bl togeneralpublic daguerreotype(1839) Possibilitiesbecameendless Edweard Muybridgeforthefirsttime recordedactualmovementsofgalloping horse allfourfeetoffthegroundwhen underneathhorse,notwhenstretchedoutas previouslybelieved

Muybridge:GallopingHorse(1878)

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Influenceofphotography(continues)
New&differentperspectives birdseyeview &wormseyeview & i Objectscapturedinaction Paintings&drawingscroppedlikecareless photograph

Degas:WomanIroning(1869)

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Degas:BalletClass(1881)

Degas:TheTub(1886)

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InfluencesonImpressionism (continues)
2.Japonisme (FrenchtermforJapanese aesthetic) th ti ) JapanopeneduptradewiththeWest(1854) ParisUniversalExhibition(1867):Japanese woodblockprintsonview Impressionist artists fascinated by flat Impressionistartistsfascinatedbyflat colourful patterns,highcontrasts,minimal shading,blackoutlines&abstractflatness

KatsushikaHokusai:UnderthewaveofKanagawa (182933)
PartofThirtysixViewsofMountFuji series

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Cassatt:TheCoiffure(1891)

InfluencesonImpressionism (Continues)
3.Colour theory(light&colour) Fields of physics & optics breakthrough in Fieldsofphysics&optics breakthroughin understandingofcolour PrincipalsofHarmoniesandContrastsofColour andtheirApplicationtotheArts Eugene Chevreul (1839) Colours nexttoeachotherinfluenceandmodify perceptionofit ti f it Colour seenaloneappearstobesurroundedby specificcomplementarycolour likefainthalo

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SubjectmatterofImpressionism
1. Light:effectsofnatural&artificial,interior light(theaterspotlights&caflanterns) li ht (th t tli ht & f l t ) 2. Landscapes:artistspreferredworkingoutside (directobservation&inventionoftubed paints!) Monet:Waterlily Monet: Waterlily Pond(1904)

Subjects(continues)
3.Joiedevivre:scenesofcontemporaryleisure, activities&entertainment ti iti & t t i t Strongfeelingofpleasureatthevisual experienceofnature Importanceofspontaneity,truthofthe moment

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Renoir:LeMoulindelaGalette (1876)

Renoir:Luncheonoftheboatingparty(1881)

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Manet:ABaratFoliesBergere (18811882)

Subjects(continues)
4.Cityscape:Urbanlifestyleofindustrialized Paris filledwithcrowdsengagedinurban P i fill d ith d di b activities machine,railwayengine,stations,bridges becamebackdropofpainting

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Monet:BoulevarddesCapucines (1873)

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