limpressionisme

Limpressionisme, commonly known in English as Impressionism, was a 19th-century art movement that originated in Paris in the 1860s and 1870s. It emerged as a reaction against the formal rules of academic painting and the standards of the Salon. The movement derives its name from Claude Monet’s 1872 painting Impression, Sunrise, a work critics used to label the group.

Impressionism is characterized by an emphasis on perceptual effects rather than precise detail. Artists sought to capture the fleeting qualities of light and atmosphere, often painting en plein air to observe outdoor conditions directly. The brushwork tends to be loose and relatively short, and color is treated in optical mixtures rather than through meticulous blending. Subject matter ranges from everyday modern life—scenes of leisure and urban experiences—to landscapes, rather than mythological or historical themes.

Core figures include Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, and Mary Cassatt, among others. They organized independent exhibitions in the 1870s and 1880s after being excluded from the Salon, with the first collective show hosted in 1874. The movement gradually evolved as artists pursued diverse directions, giving rise to later styles such as Post-Impressionism.

Impact and legacy: Impressionism reshaped modern painting by prioritizing perception, light, and contemporary life. Its influence extended beyond France to other European countries and the United States, helping to lay the groundwork for various modern movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.