Impressionism
is the newspaper of the soul.
Henri Matisse.
Impressionism is a movement in painting that arose and developed in France in the second half of the 19th century - the first quarter of the 20th century. It was art school, which put in the foreground “to convey impressions, but in such a way that it is perceived as something material.” The task of the impressionist artist was to depict his own feelings from objects.
It is well known that the very word “impressionism” in relation to artists was first used by the journalist Louis Leroy, who was inspired by the title of a painting by Claude Monet “ Impression. Sunrise", where the port of Le Havre is depicted in the bluish pre-dawn haze.
The painting is in the Marmottan-Monet Museum in Paris. There are more than three hundred paintings by the Impressionists and Neo-Impressionists, which means that once you visit the museum, you will come away with some understanding of the ideas of Impressionism. And you can continue at the Musée d’Orsay, whose collection is the envy of many.
Impressionist artists transferred onto their canvases only their perception of reality and its various manifestations, and not what they knew: for example, the earth in their paintings could be purple, lilac, blue, pink or orange, but never black or dark brown.
Impressionism, so criticized by its contemporaries, was appreciated fifty years later, and today the Impressionists are considered and appreciated as masterpieces of world painting. We present to your attention the most memorable representatives of impressionism.
Renoir, Pierre Auguste (1841 - 1919).
Art critics say that Renoir’s important achievement was the use of the theory of the impressionists and their technique not only when painting landscapes and still lifes or people in the open air, but also when painting nude models and portraits.
Renoir often turned to the image of a naked female body. He conveyed the play of light and sun on the skin, which seemed alive in his paintings. He wrote nudes female body, with frozen drops of water, pearlescent sparkling skin, pink, tanned, and at the end of life - orange, shimmering in the fire of the sun's rays.
Renoir rejected all theories, saying: “ Theories don't help you write good picture, most often they try to cover up the lack of expressive means».
It is interesting that Renoir's first works were made in a realistic manner. For example, “Diana the Huntress” and “Mother Anthony’s Tavern”.
Renoir was friends with Monet, an impressionist artist, who will be discussed below. This friendship, in fact, led to the fact that Renoir would use the Impressionist technique.
However, art critics and painting historians draw attention to the fact that, following the example of the Impressionists, Renoir refuses dark tones, but from time to time he still makes small inclusions in his paintings. Among the works of this period, first of all, one can name “Pont Neuf”, “Grand Boulevards”, “Pathway among the Tall Grass”.
The artist, suffering from attacks of rheumatism, spent the last years of his life in the south of France in Cagnes-sur-Mer at the Colette estate. Works of this period, from 1903 to 1919. permeated with sensuality, Renoir's canvases are dominated by warm colors- pink red, orange.
The influence of the masters of the past is very noticeable - Rubens Boucher and others. For example, “ Judgment of Paris», « Bather wiping her foot" The best and last job The painting “Bathers”, painted in 1918, is considered. Today his estate, in the shade of an olive and orange grove, is open to visitors. You can look into the living room and dining room, go upstairs to the artist’s bedroom, which preserves the atmosphere of his last days: wheelchair, easel and brushes. On one of the walls in his wife’s room hangs a photograph of Renoir’s son Pierre, and from the window there is an amazing view of Antibes and Hautes Cannes.
Thanks to French cinema, you can immerse yourself in last period the life of Auguste Renoir, meet his son and see the struggle of art with harsh reality. In March, the film by French director Gilles Bourdot “Renoir: Last love" The artist is just finishing “Bathers”.
Cote d'Azur, great artist, his muse... the French are masters of their craft, and the opportunity to actually see with your own eyes a great master at work, and then see the result of his work, is worth a lot. It was this picture that closed the last Cannes Film Festival.
Monet Claude (1840 - 1926).
Claude Monet called the father of impressionism. The future artist was born in Paris, but his childhood and youth were spent in the north of France, in the city of Le Havre. Monet was greatly influenced by Eugene Boudin, French artist, considered the precursor of impressionism. It was he who taught him to work in the open air (in the lane, in the open air).
Cezanne said: " Monet is just an eye, but what an eye!» It’s hard to argue and not fall in love with the Parisian streets, coastlines and landscapes of Normandy, on Monet’s canvases.
His famous painting"Breakfast on the Grass" was written in 1863. in the village of Chailly-en-Bières, located on the outskirts of the Fontainebleau forest; its central part, damaged by dampness and cut out by the author, is kept in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and a repetition of the painting in the Museum of Fine Arts. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.
Autumn 1908 and 1909 the artist spent time in Venice, captivated by the charm of the city, its constantly changing reflection on the water surface of the canal. Here Monet painted Venice: The Doge's Palace and Venice: The Grand Canal. The genius Monet incredibly managed to depict the city as if covered in a light pre-dawn haze.
At sunset creative path Monet created sophisticated paintings inspired by the water lilies in the pond at his home in Giverny.
When the artist moved in 1883 in search of a quiet place in Giverny, it is unlikely that he suspected how much life would change the sleepy village in Normandy. Soon after his arrival, the city, eighty kilometers from Paris, was flooded with young artists from different parts Europe.
Nowadays, artists and art lovers in search of inspiration come to take a walk in the gardens of Giverny and visit the restored house. Therefore, if you fell in love with the beautiful paintings of Monet in the d'Orsay, Marmottan and Orangerie museums, then Giverny will be in first place on your must-see list.
Sisley Alfred (1839 – 1899).
Being an impressionist Sisley He paid particular attention to conveying nuances and sensations. He loved to paint the water surface, sky, fog, snow. “The painting needs to evoke in the viewer the same feelings that overwhelmed the artist when he looked at this landscape,” said Sisley.
Notice how light, almost weightless the houses seem, water surface with light ripples, pastel sky and tree foliage. His paintings, written with thin, airy strokes, set the mood for a poetic, romantic mood.
A significant collection of the artist’s paintings is in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Don't ignore it when you're in the capital of France. You'll enjoy not only Sisley's work, but also paintings by other Impressionist artists on display at this museum on the banks of the Seine.
Pissarro Camille (1830 - 1903).
Art critics write that if Claude Monet and Sisley most loved to imagine water and changing reflections on its surface in their paintings, then Pissaro gave preference to land. His art is free from fleeting impressions - everything about it is more thorough. Notice how often scenes from rural life are in his paintings. The artist used the color scheme in such a way that when studying his canvases, it seems as if they are filled with light from within. Pissarro loved to paint orchards and fields, amazingly conveying the changes in nature.
Pissarro knew Monet, with whom they loved to paint together in the vicinity of Paris. “Gare Saint-Lazare”, “Pavilion of Flore and Pont Royal”, “Place de Comedie-Française”, “View of the Louvre, Seine and Pont Neuf” were written here.
Cezanne called him “modest and great”, quite deservedly, what do you think?
Seurat Georges (1859 - 1891).
One of characteristic features Seurat had a desire to bring a fresh spirit to impressionism.
His work - both drawings and paintings- based on the theory of contrasts. The most famous painting is certainly familiar to you; it is the masterpiece “Sunday Walk on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, stored in the Chicago art institute. This painting became an expression of new trends in art, an expression of the ideas of neo-impressionism. A feeling of complete peace was achieved by combining cold and warm tones, light and shadow.
“Cancan,” a no less famous painting by the artist, on the contrary, conveys a feeling of joy and movement, using warm shades and bright colors.
I would like to end with the words of Claude Monet “ People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it"s simply necessary to love ». ( People discuss my paintings, trying to understand. Why do you need to understand if you can just love??)
It is believed that art has no boundaries. Nevertheless, people decided to divide the works of artists into genres, which can be quite easy to get confused, because the boundaries of styles are arbitrary. Today we will talk about one of the main trends in painting - impressionism.
The emergence of impressionism
Impressionism as an art genre originated in France in the 1870s. The origin of this style was the creation of the painting by C. Monet “Impression. Sunrise” (1872). One journalist called the artist an impressionist, but with a negative meaning. But this was soon forgotten, and the picture gave birth to a new genre.
In 1874, impressionist artists held their first separate exhibition. The paintings exhibited there were criticized for their lack of meaning, looseness and poor depiction. However, the artists did not stop and continued to organize such events, declaring their art.
Impressionism was a purely French phenomenon. Artists from other countries were able to adopt some features, but not to the fullest extent.
It was the impressionists who were the first to move away from generally accepted standards and templates of academic writing, thereby giving a huge impetus to the development artistic arts. They deeply researched colors and new writing techniques, which ultimately led us to the diversity we have today.
It should be noted that impressionism had a serious influence and inspired with its novelty representatives of other fields of art: sculpture, music and literature.
What do impressionist paintings tell us?
Impressionism focuses on the image and the impression it gives to the viewer. Impressionist paintings most often depict ordinary scenes from life: city bustle or landscapes. Their works give viewers those fleeting impressions that the painters themselves experienced. Impressionism does not notice problems or negativity, it shows exclusively positive aspects life.
Mostly in the paintings you can see such scenes as picnics, boating, dancing, tea parties, outdoor fun and other joys of life. Impressionists most often depicted people in paintings not frozen, but moving, playing, laughing. The paintings allow us to plunge into the living reality of past centuries, to see what kind of environment surrounded people XIX century.
Features of impressionist paintings
The talent of reflecting an instant first impression on a canvas is main feature all artists. They always created from life, without any sketches, capturing and conveying the general mood. Impressionist paintings do not carry deep meaning or hidden content; they depict everyday life, but they do it not simply, but masterfully. When looking at such paintings, the viewer immediately has a certain thought or emotion that remains for some time after viewing.
The impressionists developed a special style of writing. The paintings they painted are most often distinguished by fuzzy lines and individual strokes. The fact is that they conveyed all the colors with a standard set of paints, skillfully placing strokes. Much attention in their works they paid attention to the play of light and shadows, trying to create contrast. Indicative in this regard is the painting by O. Renoir “The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette” (1876).
Great Impressionists of the Past
Since the creation of the movement, there have been many artists who have worked in the style of impressionism, but very few can be called truly great. Thus, the most famous impressionist artists are C. Monet, O. Renoir, A. Sisley and C. Pissarro. In general, impressionism as a movement was especially popular in late XIX centuries, it was then that true masters created.
This served as the beginning and inspiration for other equally famous artists - V. van Gogh, P. Cezanne, P. Gauguin. These artists became the founders of post-impressionism, which made its goal the rejection of image real life, transition to the image of its basics.
Modern Impressionists
Do not think that the direction ceased to exist after its heyday. There are still artists who choose impressionism for their work.
The paintings of modern impressionists evoke no less admiration than the paintings of the past. Today, many masters create in this genre, but time will tell which of them is most worthy of this title. However, there are several artists whose paintings are positioned as impressionist paintings. Photos of their work are presented below.
Take, for example, an artist named Kent R. Wallis. His canvases are distinguished by bright, rich colors, with which he creates magnificent landscapes.
Also fascinating are the paintings of artist I.J. Paprocki (E.J. Paprocki).
His canvases feature flowers, leaves and other small elements are done very realistically, while the rest of the background is done with brush strokes. This allows him to convey the beauty of detail and at the same time the general first impressions characteristic of impressionism.
Impressionism (from the French " impression" - impression) is a direction in art (literature, painting, architecture), it appeared at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries in France and quickly became widespread in other countries of the world. Followers of the new direction, who believed that academic, traditional techniques, for example, in painting or architecture, cannot fully convey the fullness and smallest details of the surrounding world, switched to using completely new techniques and methods, first of all in painting, then in literature and music. They made it possible to most vividly and naturally depict all the mobility and variability real world by conveying not its photographic appearance, but through the prism of the authors’ impressions and emotions about what they saw.
The author of the term “impressionism” is considered to be French critic and journalist Louis Leroy, who, impressed by his visit to the exhibition of a group of young artists “The Salon of the Rejected” in 1874 in Paris, calls them in his feuilleton impressionists, a kind of “impressionists”, and this statement is somewhat dismissive and ironic in nature. The basis for the name of this term was the painting by Claude Monet “Impression” seen by a critic. Rising sun" And although at first many of the paintings at this exhibition were subject to sharp criticism and rejection, later this direction received wider public recognition and became popular throughout the world.
Impressionism in painting
(Claude Monet "Boats on the Beach")
The new style, manner and technique of depiction were not invented by French impressionist artists out of nowhere; it was based on the experience and achievements of the most talented painters of the Renaissance: Rubens, Velazquez, El Greco, Goya. From them, the impressionists took such methods of more vividly and vividly conveying the surrounding world or expressiveness of weather conditions as the use of intermediate tones, the use of techniques of bright or, on the contrary, dull strokes, large or small, characterized by abstractness. Adherents of the new direction in painting either completely abandoned the traditional academic manner of drawing, or completely remade the methods and methods of depiction in their own way, introducing such innovations as:
- Objects, objects or figures were depicted without a contour, it was replaced by small and contrasting strokes;
- A palette was not used to mix colors; colors were selected that complement each other and do not require merging. Sometimes the paint was squeezed onto the canvas directly from a metal tube, creating a pure, sparkling color with a brushstroke effect;
- Virtual absence of black color;
- The canvases were mostly painted outdoors, from nature, in order to more vividly and expressively convey their emotions and impressions of what they saw;
- The use of paints with high covering power;
- Applying fresh strokes directly to the still wet surface of the canvas;
- Creating Loops paintings in order to study changes in light and shadow (“Haystacks” by Claude Monet);
- Lack of depiction of pressing social, philosophical or religious issues, historical or significant events. The works of the Impressionists are filled positive emotions, there is no place for gloom and heavy thoughts, there is only lightness, joy and beauty of every moment, sincerity of feelings and frankness of emotions.
(Edouard Manet "Reading")
And although not all artists of this movement adhered to particular precision in the execution of all the precise features of the impressionism style (Edouard Manet positioned himself as an individual artist and never participated in joint exhibitions (there were 8 in total from 1874 to 1886). Edgar Degas created only in his own workshop) this did not stop them from creating masterpieces fine arts, still stored in best museums, and private collections around the world.
Russian impressionist artists
Being impressed by creative ideas French impressionists, Russian artists at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century created their original masterpieces of fine art, later known as common name"Russian impressionism".
(V. A. Serov "Girl with Peaches")
Its most prominent representatives are Konstantin Korovin (“Portrait of a Chorus Girl”, 1883, “Northern Idyll” 1886), Valentin Serov (“ Open window. Lilac”, 1886, “Girl with Peaches”, 1887), Arkhip Kuindzhi (“North”, 1879, “Dnieper in the Morning” 1881), Abram Arkhipov (“North Sea”, “Landscape. Study with a Log House”) , “late” impressionist Igor Grabar (“Birch Alley”, 1940, “Winter Landscape”, 1954).
(Borisov-Musatov "Autumn Song")
The methods and manner of depiction inherent in impressionism took place in the works of such outstanding Russian artists as Borisov-Musatov, Bogdanov Belsky, Nilus. The classical canons of French impressionism in the paintings of Russian artists have undergone some changes, as a result of which this direction has acquired a unique national specificity.
Foreign impressionists
One of the first works executed in the style of impressionism is considered to be Edouard Manet’s painting “Luncheon on the Grass,” which was exhibited to the public in 1860 at the Paris “Salon of the Rejected,” where canvases that did not pass the selection of the Paris Salon of Arts could be dismantled. The painting, painted in a style that was radically different from the traditional manner of depiction, aroused a lot of critical comments and rallied followers of the new artistic movement around the artist.
(Edouard Manet "In the Tavern of Father Lathuile")
The most famous impressionist artists include Edouard Manet (“Bar at the Folies-Bergere”, “Music in the Tuileries”, “Breakfast on the Grass”, “At Father Lathuile’s”, “Argenteuil”), Claude Monet (“Field of Poppies at Argenteuil” ", "Walk to the Cliff in Pourville", "Women in the Garden", "Lady with an Umbrella", "Boulevard des Capucines", series of works "Water Lilies", "Impression. Rising Sun"), Alfred Sisley ("Rural Alley" , “Frost at Louveciennes”, “Bridge at Argenteuil”, “Early Snow at Louveciennes”, “Lawns in Spring”), Pierre Auguste Renoir (“Breakfast of the Rowers”, “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette”, “Dance in the Country”, “Umbrellas”, “Dance at Bougival”, “Girls at the Piano”), Camille Pizarro (“Boulevard Montmartre at Night”, “Harvest at Eragny”, “Reapers Resting”, “Garden at Pontoise”, “Entering the Village of Voisin”) , Edgar Degas (“Dance Class”, “Rehearsal”, “Concert at the Ambassador Café”, “Opera Orchestra”, “Dancers in Blue”, “Absinthe Lovers”), Georges Seurat (“Sunday Afternoon”, “Cancan”, "Models") and others.
(Paul Cezanne "Pierrot and Harlequin"")
Four artists in the 90s of the 19th century created a new direction in art based on impressionism and called themselves post-impressionists (Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec). Their work is characterized by the transmission not of fleeting sensations and impressions from the world around them, but by the knowledge of the true essence of things, which is hidden under their outer shell. Most of them famous works: Paul Gauguin (“A Mischievous Joke”, “La Orana Maria”, “The Fight of Jacob with the Angel”, “Yellow Christ”), Paul Cezanne (“Pierrot and Harlequin”, “ Large bathers", "Lady in Blue"), Vincent Van Gogh ( Starry night", "Sunflowers", "Irises"), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec ("The Laundress", "Toilet", "Dance Training at the Moulin Rouge").
Impressionism in sculpture
(Auguste Rodin "The Thinker")
Impressionism did not develop as a separate direction in architecture; one can find its individual features and characteristics in some sculptural compositions and monuments. Sculpture this style gives free plasticity to soft forms, they create an amazing play of light on the surface of the figures and give some feeling of incompleteness; sculptural characters are often depicted at the moment of movement. To works in in this direction include sculptures by the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin (“The Kiss”, “The Thinker”, “Poet and Muse”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Eternal Spring”), Italian artist and sculptor Medardo Rosso (figures made of clay and plaster filled with wax to achieve a unique lighting effect: “The Gatekeeper and the Mistress”, “The Golden Age”, “Motherhood”), Russian genius nugget Pavel Trubetskoy (bronze bust of Leo Tolstoy, monument Alexander III in St. Petersburg).
Impressionism is often considered precisely as a movement in painting that originated in the 19th century in France. Impressionism brought a double revolution, which is simultaneously reflected in the vision of the world and painting technique. He shows the painting as moving, ephemeral, elusive, focusing on the passing moment in the present tense. In addition, impressionism is characterized by light, touch, and color vibration.
Prominent representatives modern impressionism in painting many, but in this publication we will focus on four artists - Andre Kohn (Russia), Laurent Parcelier (France), Diane Leonard and Karen Tarlton (USA)- each of which owns unique technology in painting.
Andre Kohn- comes from Volgograd, Russian Federation. From the age of 15 he began to seriously study painting under the guidance of Natalia Gavrichenko and Anatoly Vrubel. Since the artist deserved high praise in oil painting from his Western colleagues, he migrated to America. On at the moment lives with his family in Phoenix. The artist’s paintings are in corporate, museum and private collections in Europe, Canada, USA, Japan, Australia and Russia.
Andre Cohn is a recognized leader in the field of modern impressionism. With a mature and fresh imaginative style, he always creates the extraordinary out of the ordinary. The artist's objects are interpreted through the poetry of movement. In the American arena, the impressionist Andre Kohn is considered one of the most interesting figures.
Modern French impressionism in painting Laurent Parcelier
Laurent Parcelier- maestro of watercolor, modern French impressionist. Characteristic of Porcellier's work is the clean and bright manner of conveying the places where the artist himself visited. the artist shines with light, brightness, impression. The author's strokes and tones are unique to him alone.
Contemporary American impressionism in painting Diane Leonard
Diana Leonard is one of those artists who gained instant popularity. She began creating at the age of 20 and almost immediately her talent was appreciated by experts in the field modern painting. Diane Leonard- an honored impressionist artist in his homeland, and also a part-time writer. The artist’s canvases will speak for themselves. Enjoy watching!
Contemporary impressionist artist Karen Tarlton
Karen Tarlton in one of her personal interviews she spoke about herself as a universal artist working in the genre of impressionism. In her own words, strong point The artist is plein air painting. The tool in creating author's colorful paintings is, and with it the rich color palette. In her paintings, Karen Tarlton tries with all her might to inspire and delight the viewer with a combination of light, color and texture.
Karen is a current expert in impressionist palette knife painting. He often paints landscapes and portraits. Currently lives and works in Manhattan Beach, California.
Bold strokes, bright colors, everyday scenes life, candid poses and, most importantly, an accurate description of the light... Only a small fraction of the characteristics of one of the most popular artistic directions. Impressionism appeared in France in the mid-19th century. Before its emergence, authors usually created still lifes, portraits and even landscapes in their studios. The first impressionists broke traditional canons and literally went out into the fields - they began to create in the open air, capturing realistic scenes of contemporary life. Although Impressionism was initially heavily criticized, it soon led to a similar movement in music and literature. We invite you to admire the most famous paintings this revolutionary movement in art.
Bar at the Folies Bergere, Edouard Manet, 1882
Manet's last major work and simply greatest work art. The canvas depicts the famous cabaret of Paris, which the artist himself often visited. To convey the atmosphere of that period and make the scene more complex, he depicted a mirror in the background, which reflects huge amount people filling the room. Opposite the crowd and the viewer, in contrast, behind the counter stands a lonely barmaid, absorbed in her own thoughts. One of the researchers of Manet’s work notes that the oranges in the picture are direct evidence that we are talking about a prostitute. The date and signature of Manet himself is displayed on the label of one of the bottles, which is in the lower left corner.
Professionals call Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies” series nothing more than “ Sistine Chapel impressionism". The cycle consists of approximately 250 paintings that were created by the artist during the last thirty years of his life on the site of his house in Giverny. Today they are exhibited in museums around the world. It is amazing that Monet wrote most of them when he suffered from cataracts and lost his left lens.
Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1876
The famous masterpiece of impressionism is often characterized by art historians as “the most beautiful artistic canvas of the 19th century.” The painting depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at the Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre. Under open air Renoir painted a dance floor and a cafe near his home - the artist liked to watch happy, graceful couples. For him it was an ideal environment for creativity. “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette” is a skillful group portrait, still life and landscape at the same time. In addition, this is Renoir’s most ambitious work: never before had the artist depicted aspects everyday life on a canvas of this scale - 131x175 cm. The smaller version of the painting is among the ten most expensive works of art sold.
Impression. Rising Sun, Claude Monet, 1872
The iconic painting that gave its name to everything artistic movement(from the French impression - “impression”) and became its quintessence. Initially, the canvas created by Monet in the port of Le Havre was torn to smithereens by critics, and the term “impressionism” arose in a satirical review by journalist Louis Leroy, who wrote: “Wallpaper, even those would have looked finished, not like this “Impression”!” An interesting detail: if you make a black and white copy of this piece, the sun will disappear almost completely.
Luncheon on the Grass, Edouard Manet, 1862-1863
Scene depicting a naked woman having dinner with two completely dressed men, was initially considered an insult - the artist was accused of decadence and bad taste. The film was not allowed to participate in the Paris Salon. It was truly a bold statement in favor of the artist's personal freedom.
Parisian street on a rainy day, Gustave Caillebotte, 1877
It is considered one of the most celebrated works about city life in the 19th century. The painting depicts Dublin Square near its intersection with Moscow Street near the Paris Saint-Lazare train station. The lantern pole and the horizon line seem to divide the picture into four quadrants. All the people here are moving in different directions, as if emphasizing their impersonality, isolation, loneliness in a developing city. In addition, Caillebotte masterfully conveys the feeling of rain with the help of lighting and the absence of strong shadows on the street.
Luncheon of the Rowers, Pierre Auguste Renoir
Luncheon of the Rowers, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1880-1881
Romanticized portrait of Renoir's friends enjoying an evening on a balcony along the Seine River. Among the people in the picture you can see the future wife of the author (model Alina Sharigo - a lady with a dog), and another famous impressionist- Gustave Caillebotte (on the right in a straw hat). The painting represents the changing nature of French society at the end of the 19th century as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
Pont Boieldieu in Rouen on a rainy day, Camille Pizarro, 1896
This famous painting by Degas is an artistic representation of social isolation in Paris during its booming phase. The painting depicts a woman who indifferently looks at the glass of absinthe in front of her, and clearly not the first. Next to her sits a man who looks like an alcoholic. In fact, the roles of the “humiliated and insulted” characters were played by the artist Marcelin Deboutin and the actress Ellen Andre. At first, critics were shocked by the atmosphere of degradation and decadence that reigned on the canvas. And some saw this as a warning against excessive alcohol consumption.
Parquet workers, Gustave Caillebotte, 1875
One of the first paintings depicting the urban working class. Caillebotte illustrates an abiding interest in everyday life. Notice how accurately the artist captured the light coming through the window and the shadows. The painting is as realistic as a photograph, but nevertheless was rejected by the most prestigious art exhibitions and salons: depictions of half-naked working-class men were considered "vulgar subject matter".