6.1 Defining characteristics and principles of Impressionism

Impressionism revolutionized art in the late 19th century. It broke from academic traditions, focusing on capturing fleeting moments of light and color in everyday scenes. Painters used quick brushstrokes and vibrant hues to depict modern life.

This movement challenged conventional techniques and subject matter. Artists painted outdoors, embraced unusual compositions, and rejected idealized subjects. Their innovative approach to light, color, and brushwork forever changed the art world.

Key Visual Elements of Impressionism

Brushwork and Color Application

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• Impressionist paintings are characterized by visible brushstrokes, often applied rapidly in short, thick strokes or dabs
• Impressionists used vibrant colors, especially pure unmixed colors, to capture the changing effects of light (cobalt blue, emerald green, vermilion)
• They often painted wet-on-wet, applying wet paint onto wet paint without waiting for the previous layer to dry, creating softer edges and a sense of immediacy

Composition and Subject Matter

• Compositions often featured unusual visual angles, cropped subjects, and asymmetrical framing
• Paintings typically depict candid poses and ordinary subject matter, especially landscapes and scenes of everyday life (picnics, boating scenes, gardens)
• Impressionists often painted outdoors (en plein air) to directly observe and capture the transient effects of sunlight

Impressionist Challenges to Tradition

Rejection of Academic Conventions

• Impressionists rejected the rigid rules and conventions of the French Academy of Fine Arts, such as idealized subject matter and smooth, blended brushwork
• They challenged the notion that serious art should depict historical, religious or mythological subjects, instead focusing on landscapes and contemporary life
• Impressionists moved away from painting in a studio to painting outdoors, which was unconventional for the time

Unconventional Techniques and Materials

• They abandoned the use of black and earth tones in shadows, instead using complementary colors (purple shadows, blue shadows)
• Impressionists often used white or light-colored grounds on their canvases, which was a departure from the dark grounds used by earlier artists
• They experimented with different brushstrokes, such as comma-shaped strokes, dashes, and dots, to create a sense of movement and vibration on the canvas

Innovative Techniques of Impressionism

Capturing Light and Color

• Impressionists developed a technique called broken color, applying pure colors in small dabs or strokes and allowing the eye to blend them
• To capture the effects of light, Impressionists painted with a limited color palette, using pure, intense colors and avoiding the use of black
• Impressionists often painted at different times of day to capture the changing effects of light on their subjects (morning light, afternoon light, dusk)

Plein Air Painting and Portability

• The invention of portable paint tubes and the box easel made it easier for artists to paint outdoors and capture the fleeting effects of light and color
• Painting en plein air allowed Impressionists to directly observe and quickly capture the transient effects of sunlight and atmosphere (clouds, reflections on water)
• The portability of their equipment allowed them to paint in a variety of locations and capture a wider range of subjects (cityscapes, rural landscapes, seascapes)

Social and Cultural Context of Impressionism

Modernity and the Rise of the Middle Class

• Impressionism emerged in Paris in the 1860s during a time of great social, economic, and technological change
• The industrial revolution led to the growth of the middle class and a shift in artistic patronage from the aristocracy to the bourgeoisie
• Impressionist subject matter often reflected the leisure activities and everyday life of the middle class (cafes, theaters, parks)

Influence of Japanese Art

• The influence of Japanese woodblock prints, with their bold colors, flat perspectives, and asymmetrical compositions, can be seen in many Impressionist works
• Japanese art, which became widely available in Europe in the mid-19th century, inspired Impressionists to experiment with new compositional techniques and color palettes (Monet's bridge paintings, Degas' dancers)
• The use of high horizons, cropped subjects, and diagonal lines in Impressionist compositions can be traced back to the influence of Japanese prints