impressionnistes

Impressionnistes, in English the Impressionists, were a group of painters in France during the 1860s to 1880s who pursued a new approach to painting based on the immediate perception of light, color, and atmosphere rather than on historical or mythological subjects. They sought to capture transient moments and the effects of changing light in the visible world. Breaking with academic conventions, they painted outdoors, used loose brushwork, and placed pure colors side by side to suggest form rather than blend it meticulously on the palette.

Common subjects included urban life, leisure activities, landscapes, and riversides, depicted with an emphasis on movement and everyday modern life. The artists often painted en plein air to study impressions of light at different times of day, weather, and seasons. Notable members include Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, and Mary Cassatt; Édouard Manet is frequently regarded as a precursor who influenced them, though not always counted among the core group.

Origins and reception: the Impressionists organized independent exhibitions in Paris beginning in 1874. The term “Impressionists” originated from a critic’s label applied to Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise (1872), a designation the painters later embraced. The movement faced criticism from traditional institutions, but it helped redefine priorities in painting, emphasizing perception, modern life, and the effects of light.

Legacy: the Impressionists influenced later movements such as Post-Impressionism and various strands of modern art, contributing to a broader shift toward subjective perception and experimentation with color and composition.