Impressionism is an art movement that emerged in the second half of the 19th century. His main goal was to convey fleeting, changeable impressions.
The emergence of impressionism is associated with science: with the latest discoveries in optics and color theory.
This trend affected almost all types of art, but it was most clearly manifested in painting, where the transmission of color and light was the basis of the work of impressionist artists.
Meaning of the term
Impressionism(French Impressionnisme) from impression - impression). This style of painting appeared in France in the late 1860s. He was represented by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, Alfred Sisley, Jean Frederic Bazille. But the term itself appeared in 1874, when Monet’s painting “Impression. Rising Sun"(1872). In the title of the painting, Monet meant that he was conveying only his fleeting impression of the landscape.
K. Monet “Impression. Sunrise" (1872). Marmottan-Monet Museum, Paris
Later, the term “impressionism” in painting began to be understood more broadly: a careful study of nature in terms of color and lighting. The goal of the impressionists was to depict instantaneous, seemingly “random” situations and movements. To do this, they used various techniques: complex angles, asymmetry, fragmented compositions. For impressionist artists, a painting becomes a frozen moment of a constantly changing world.
Impressionist artistic method
The most popular genres of impressionists are landscapes and scenes from city life. They were always painted “in the open air”, i.e. directly from nature, in nature, without sketches or preliminary sketches. The Impressionists noticed and were able to convey colors and shades on canvas that were usually invisible with the naked eye and an inattentive spectator. For example, transfer of blue color in the shadows or pink - at sunset. They decomposed complex tones into their constituent pure colors of the spectrum. This made their paintings appear bright and vibrant. Impressionist artists applied paints in separate strokes, in a free and even careless manner, so their paintings are best viewed from a distance - it is with this view that the effect of living flickering of colors is created.
The Impressionists abandoned the contour, replacing it with small, separate and contrasting strokes.
C. Pissarro, A. Sisley and C. Monet preferred landscapes and city scenes. O. Renoir loved to depict people in the lap of nature or in the interior. French impressionism did not raise philosophical and social problems. They did not turn to biblical, literary, mythological, historical subjects that were inherent in official academicism. Instead, an image of everyday life and modernity appeared on paintings; an image of people in motion, while relaxing or having fun. Their main subjects are flirting, dancing, people in cafes and theaters, boat rides, beaches and gardens.
The impressionists tried to capture a fleeting impression, the smallest changes in each object depending on the lighting and time of day. In this regard, Monet’s cycles of paintings “Haystacks”, “Rouen Cathedral” and “Parliament of London” can be considered the highest achievement.
C. Monet “The Cathedral of Rouen in the Sun” (1894). Orsay Museum, Paris, France
“Rouen Cathedral” is a cycle of 30 paintings by Claude Monet, which represent views of the cathedral depending on the time of day, year and lighting. This cycle was painted by the artist in the 1890s. The cathedral allowed him to show the relationship between the constant, solid structure of the building and the changing, easily playing light that changes our perception. Monet concentrates on individual fragments of the Gothic cathedral and selects the portal, the tower of St. Martin and the tower of Alban. He is solely interested in the play of light on the stone.
K. Monet “Rouen Cathedral, Western Portal, Foggy Weather” (1892). Orsay Museum, Paris
K. Monet “Rouen Cathedral, portal and tower, morning effect; white harmony" (1892-1893). Orsay Museum, Paris
K. Monet “Rouen Cathedral, portal and tower in the sun, harmony of blue and gold” (1892-1893). Orsay Museum, Paris
Following France, impressionist artists appeared in England and the USA (James Whistler), in Germany (Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth), in Spain (Joaquin Sorolla), in Russia (Konstantin Korovin, Valentin Serov, Igor Grabar).
About the work of some impressionist artists
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Claude Monet, photograph 1899
French painter, one of the founders of impressionism. Born in Paris. He was fond of drawing since childhood, and at the age of 15 he showed himself to be a talented caricaturist. He was introduced to landscape painting by Eugene Boudin, a French artist, a predecessor of impressionism. Later, Monet entered the university at the Faculty of Arts, but became disillusioned and left it, enrolling in the painting studio of Charles Gleyre. In the studio he met the artists Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Frédéric Bazille. They were practically peers, held similar views on art, and soon formed the backbone of the impressionist group.
Monet became famous for his portrait of Camille Doncieux, painted in 1866 (“Camille, or Portrait of a Lady in a Green Dress”). Camilla became the artist's wife in 1870.
C. Monet “Camille” (“Lady in Green”) (1866). Kunsthalle, Bremen
C. Monet “Walk: Camille Monet with her son Jean (Woman with an Umbrella)” (1875). National Gallery of Art, Washington
In 1912, doctors diagnosed C. Monet with double cataracts, and he had to undergo two operations. Having lost the lens in his left eye, Monet regained his sight, but began to see ultraviolet light as blue or purple, causing his paintings to take on new colors. For example, when painting the famous “Water Lilies,” Monet saw the lilies as bluish in the ultraviolet range; to other people they were simply white.
C. Monet “Water Lilies”
The artist died on December 5, 1926 in Giverny and was buried in the local church cemetery.
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
C. Pissarro “Self-Portrait” (1873)
French painter, one of the first and most consistent representatives of impressionism.
Born on the island of St. Thomas (West Indies), in a bourgeois family of a Sephardic Jew and a native of the Dominican Republic. He lived in the West Indies until he was 12 years old, and at the age of 25 he and his entire family moved to Paris. I studied at school here fine arts and at the Suisse Academy. His teachers were Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet and Charles-François Daubigny. Started with rural landscapes and views of Paris. Pissarro had a strong influence on the Impressionists, independently developing many of the principles that formed the basis of their painting style. He was friends with the artists Degas, Cezanne and Gauguin. Pizarro was the only participant in all 8 Impressionist exhibitions.
He died in 1903 in Paris. He was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery.
Already in early works the artist paid special attention to the depiction of illuminated objects in the air. Light and air have since become the leading theme in Pissarro's work.
C. Pissarro “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny" (1897)
in 1890, Pizarro became interested in the technique of pointillism (separate application of strokes). But after a while he returned to his usual manner.
IN last years During his life, Camille Pissarro's vision noticeably deteriorated. But he continued his work and created a series of views of Paris, filled with artistic emotions.
C. Pissarro “Street in Rouen”
The unusual angle of some of his paintings is explained by the fact that the artist painted them from hotel rooms. This series became one of the highest achievements of impressionism in conveying light and atmospheric effects.
Pissarro also painted in watercolors and created a series of etchings and lithographs.
Here are some of his interesting statements about the art of impressionism: “The Impressionists are on the right track, their art is healthy, it is based on sensations and it is honest.”
“Happy is the one who can see beauty in ordinary things, where others see nothing!”
C. Pissarro “The First Frost” (1873)
Russian impressionism
Russian impressionism developed from late XIX-beginning of the 20th century It was influenced by the work of the French impressionists. But Russian impressionism has a pronounced national specificity and in many ways does not coincide with textbook ideas about classical French impressionism. In the painting of Russian impressionists, objectivity and materiality prevail. It is more loaded with meaning and less dynamic. Russian impressionism is closer than French to realism. The French impressionists focused on the impression of what they saw, and the Russians also added a reflection of the artist’s inner state. The work had to be completed in one session.
A certain incompleteness of Russian impressionism creates the “thrill of life” that was characteristic of them.
Impressionism includes the work of Russian artists: A. Arkhipov, I. Grabar, K. Korovin, F. Malyavin, N. Meshcherin, A. Murashko, V. Serov, A. Rylov and others.
V. Serov “Girl with Peaches” (1887)
This painting is considered the standard of Russian impressionism in portraiture.
Valentin Serov “Girl with Peaches” (1887). Canvas, oil. 91×85 cm. State Tretyakov Gallery
The painting was painted at the estate of Savva Ivanovich Mamontov in Abramtsevo, which he acquired from the daughter of the writer Sergei Aksakov in 1870. The portrait depicts 12-year-old Vera Mamontova. The girl is drawn sitting at a table; she is wearing a pink blouse with a dark blue bow; there is a knife, peaches and leaves on the table.
“All I was striving for was freshness, that special freshness that you always feel in nature and don’t see in paintings. I painted for more than a month and exhausted her, poor thing, to death; I really wanted to preserve the freshness of the painting while being completely complete, just like the old masters” (V. Serov).
Impressionism in other forms of art
In literature
In literature, impressionism as a separate movement did not develop, but its features were reflected in naturalism And symbolism .
Edmond and Jules Goncourt. Photo
Principles naturalism can be traced in the novels of the Goncourt brothers and George Eliot. But Emile Zola was the first to use the term “naturalism” to refer to his own work. The writers Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Huysmans and Paul Alexis grouped around Zola. After the release of the collection “Medan Evenings” (1880), with frank stories about the disasters of the Franco-Prussian War (including Maupassant’s story “Dumpling”), the name “Medan group” was assigned to them.
Emile Zola
The naturalistic principle in literature has often been criticized for its lack of artistry. For example, I. S. Turgenev wrote about one of Zola’s novels that “there is a lot of digging in chamber pots.” Gustave Flaubert was also critical of naturalism.
Zola maintained friendly relations with many impressionist artists.
Symbolists used symbols, understatement, hints, mystery, enigma. The main mood captured by the Symbolists was pessimism, reaching the point of despair. Everything “natural” was represented only as an “appearance” that had no independent artistic significance.
Thus, impressionism in literature was expressed by the author’s private impression, the rejection of an objective picture of reality, and the depiction of every moment. In fact, this led to the absence of plot and history, the replacement of thought with perception, and reason with instinct.
G. Courbet “Portrait of P. Verlaine” (circa 1866)
A striking example of poetic impressionism is Paul Verlaine’s collection “Romances without Words” (1874). In Russia, Konstantin Balmont and Innokenty Annensky experienced the influence of impressionism.
V. Serov “Portrait of K. Balmont” (1905)
Innokenty Annensky. Photo
These sentiments also affected dramaturgy. The plays contain a passive perception of the world, analysis of moods, states of mind. The dialogues concentrate fleeting, scattered impressions. These features are characteristic of the work of Arthur Schnitzler.
In music
Musical impressionism developed in France in the last quarter XIX V. – early 20th century He expressed himself most clearly in the works of Erik Satie, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Erik Satie
Musical impressionism is close to impressionism in French painting. They not only have common roots, but also cause-and-effect relationships. Impressionist composers sought and found not only analogies, but also expressive means in the works of Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Puvis de Chavannes and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Of course, the means of painting and means musical art can be connected with each other only with the help of special, subtle associative parallels that exist only in consciousness. If you look at the blurry image of Paris “in the autumn rain” and the same sounds, “muffled by the noise of falling drops,” then here we can only talk about the property artistic image, but not the real image.
Claude Debussy
Debussy writes “Clouds”, “Prints” (the most figurative of which, a watercolor sound sketch - “Gardens in the Rain”), “Images”, “Reflections on the Water”, which evoke direct associations with the famous painting by Claude Monet “Impression: Sunrise” " According to Mallarmé, impressionist composers learned to “hear light,” to convey in sounds the movement of water, the vibration of leaves, the blowing of wind and the refraction of sunlight in the evening air.
Maurice Ravel
Direct connections between painting and music exist in M. Ravel in his sound-visual “Play of Water”, the cycle of plays “Reflections”, and the piano collection “Rustles of the Night”.
The Impressionists created works of refined art and at the same time clear in expressive means, emotionally restrained, conflict-free and strict in style.
In sculpture
O. Rodin “The Kiss”
Impressionism in sculpture was expressed in the free plasticity of soft forms, which creates challenging game light on the surface of the material and a feeling of incompleteness. The poses of the sculptural characters capture the moment of movement and development.
O. Rodin. Photo from 1891
This direction includes sculptural works by O. Rodin (France), Medardo Rosso (Italy), P.P. Trubetskoy (Russia).
V. Serov “Portrait of Paolo Trubetskoy”
Pavel (Paolo) Trubetskoy(1866-1938) – sculptor and artist, worked in Italy, USA, England, Russia and France. Born in Italy. Illegitimate son Russian emigrant, Prince Pyotr Petrovich Trubetskoy.
Since childhood, I have been independently engaged in sculpture and painting. He had no education. In the initial period of his creativity, he created portrait busts, works of small sculpture, and participated in competitions for the creation of large sculptures.
P. Trubetskoy “Monument Alexander III", Saint Petersburg
The first exhibition of works by Paolo Trubetskoy took place in the USA in 1886. In 1899, the sculptor came to Russia. Takes part in a competition to create a monument to Alexander III and, unexpectedly for everyone, receives first prize. This monument has caused and continues to cause conflicting assessments. It is difficult to imagine a more static and ponderous monument. And only a positive assessment of the imperial family allowed the monument to take its appropriate place - in the sculptural image they found similarities with the original.
Critics believed that Trubetskoy worked in the spirit of “outdated impressionism.”
Trubetskoy’s image of the brilliant Russian writer turned out to be more “impressionistic”: there is clearly movement here - in the folds of the shirt, the fluttering beard, the turn of the head, there is even a feeling that the sculptor managed to capture the tension of L. Tolstoy’s thought.
P. Trubetskoy “Bust of Leo Tolstoy” (bronze). State Tretyakov Gallery
“The new world was born when the impressionists painted it”
Henri Kahnweiler
19th century. France. Something unprecedented happened in painting. A group of young artists decided to shake 500-year-old traditions. Instead of a clear drawing, they used a wide, “sloppy” stroke.
And they completely abandoned the usual images. Portraying everyone. And ladies of easy virtue, and gentlemen of dubious reputation.
The public was not ready for impressionist painting. They were ridiculed and scolded. And most importantly, they didn’t buy anything from them.
But the resistance was broken. And some of the impressionists lived to see their triumph. True, they were already over 40. Like Claude Monet or Auguste Renoir. Some waited for recognition only at the end of their lives, like Camille Pissarro. Some did not live to see him, like Alfred Sisley.
What revolutionary did each of them accomplish? Why did the public take so long to accept them? Here are the 7 most famous French impressionists. Which the whole world knows.
1. Edouard Manet (1832 – 1883)
Edouard Manet. Self-portrait with a palette. 1878 Private collectionManet was older than most of the Impressionists. He was their main inspiration for change.
Manet himself did not claim to be the leader of the revolutionaries. He was socialite. I dreamed of official awards.
But he waited a very long time for recognition. The public wanted to see greek goddesses. Or still lifes at worst. To look beautiful in the dining room. Manet wanted to paint modern life. For example, courtesans.
The result was “Breakfast on the Grass.” Two dandies are relaxing in the company of ladies of easy virtue. One of them, as if nothing had happened, sits next to dressed men.
Edouard Manet. Breakfast on the grass. 1863, Paris Compare his Luncheon on the Grass with Thomas Couture's Romans in Decline. Couture's painting created a sensation. The artist instantly became famous.
“Breakfast on the Grass” was accused of vulgarity. Pregnant women were seriously not recommended to look at her.
Thomas Couture. Romans in their decline. 1847 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. artchive.ru In Couture's painting we see all the attributes of academicism (traditional painting of the 16th-19th centuries). Columns and statues. People of Apollonian appearance. Traditional muted colors. Manners of poses and gestures. A plot from the distant life of a completely different people.
“Breakfast on the Grass” by Manet is of a different format. Before him, no one had portrayed courtesans so easily. Close to respectable townspeople. Although many men of that time spent their leisure time this way. Real life real people.
Once I wrote to a respectable lady. Ugly. He couldn't flatter her with a brush. The lady was disappointed. She left him in tears.
Edouard Manet. Angelina. 1860 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Wikimedia.commons.org So he continued to experiment. For example, with color. He did not try to depict the so-called natural color. If he saw gray-brown water as bright blue, then he depicted it as bright blue.
This, of course, irritated the audience. After all, even the Mediterranean Sea cannot boast of being as blue as Manet’s water, they quipped.
Edouard Manet. Argenteuil. 1874 Museum of Fine Arts, Tournai, Belgium. Wikipedia.org But the fact remains a fact. Manet radically changed the purpose of painting. The painting became the embodiment of the artist’s individuality. Who writes as he pleases. Forgetting about patterns and traditions.
All innovations did not forgive him for a long time. He received recognition only at the end of his life. When he no longer needed it. He was dying painfully from an incurable disease.
2. Claude Monet (1840 – 1926)
Claude Monet. Self-portrait in a beret. 1886 Private collection Claude Monet can be called a Christian impressionist. Since he was faithful to this direction all his long life.
He painted not objects and people, but a single color construction of highlights and spots. Separate strokes. Air tremors.
Claude Monet. Paddling pool. 1869 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. metmuseum.org Monet painted not only nature. He was also good at city landscapes. One of the most famous - .
There is a lot of photography in this picture. For example, motion is conveyed through a blurred image.
Notice how the distant trees and figures seem to be in a haze.
Claude Monet. Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. 1873 (Gallery of European and American Art of the 19th-20th centuries), Moscow Before us is a frozen moment in the bustling life of Paris. No staging. Nobody is posing. People are depicted as a collection of brush strokes. Such lack of plot and the “freeze-frame” effect are the main features of impressionism.
By the mid-80s, artists became disillusioned with impressionism. Aesthetics are, of course, good. But the lack of plot depressed many.
Only Monet continued to persist. Exaggerating impressionism. Which developed into a series of paintings.
He depicted the same landscape dozens of times. IN different time days. At different times of the year. To show how temperature and light can change the same species beyond recognition.
Thus, countless haystacks appeared.
Paintings by Claude Monet at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Left: Haystacks at sunset in Giverny, 1891. Right: Haystacks (snow effect), 1891.
Please note that the shadows in these paintings are colored. And not gray or black, as was customary before the Impressionists. This is another feature of theirs.
Monet managed to enjoy success and material well-being. After 40, he already forgot about poverty. He acquired a house and a beautiful garden. And he created for his own pleasure long years.
Read about the master’s most iconic painting in the article
3. Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919)
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Self-portrait. 1875 Sterling and Francine Clark Institute of Art, Massachusetts, USA. Pinterest.ru Impressionism is the most positive painting. And the most positive among the impressionists was Renoir.
You won't find drama in his paintings. He didn't even use black paint. Only the joy of being. Even the most banal things in Renoir look beautiful.
Unlike Monet, Renoir painted people more often. Landscapes were less important to him. In his paintings his friends and acquaintances are relaxing and enjoying life.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Rowers' breakfast. 1880-1881 Phillips Collection, Washington, USA. Wikimedia.commons.org You won't find any profundity in Renoir. He was very happy to join the Impressionists. Who completely refused the plots.
As he himself said, he finally has the opportunity to write flowers and call them simply “Flowers”. And don’t invent any stories about them.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Woman with an umbrella in the garden. 1875 Thyssen-Bormenis Museum, Madrid. arteuam.com Renoir felt best in the company of women. He asked his maids to sing and joke. The stupider and more naive the song was, the better for him. And men's chatter tired him. It's no surprise that Renoir is famous for his nudes.
The model in the painting “Nude in sunlight” seems to appear against a colorful abstract background. Because for Renoir nothing is secondary. The model's eye or a section of the background are equivalent.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Nude in sunlight. 1876 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.commons.org Renoir lived a long life. And I never put down my brush and palette. Even when his hands were completely shackled by rheumatism, he tied the brush to his hand with a rope. And he drew.
Like Monet, he waited for recognition after 40 years. And I saw my paintings in the Louvre, next to the works of famous masters.
Read about one of the most charming portraits of Renoir in the article
4. Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917)
Edgar Degas. Self-portrait. 1863 Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal. cultured.com Degas was not a classical impressionist. He did not like to work in the open air (open air). You won’t find a deliberately lightened palette with him.
On the contrary, he loved a clear line. He has plenty of black. And he worked exclusively in the studio.
But still he is always put in a row with other great impressionists. Because he was an impressionist of gesture.
Unexpected angles. Asymmetry in the arrangement of objects. Characters taken by surprise. All these are the main attributes of his paintings.
He stopped a moment of life, not allowing him to come to his senses. Just look at his “Opera Orchestra”.
Edgar Degas. Opera orchestra. 1870 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. commons.wikimedia.org In the foreground is the back of a chair. The musician's back is to us. And on background the ballerinas on stage did not fit into the “frame”. Their heads are mercilessly “cut off” by the edge of the picture.
That’s why the dancers he loved so much are not always depicted in beautiful poses. Sometimes they just do stretching.
But such improvisation is imaginary. Of course, Degas carefully thought through the composition. This is just a freeze frame effect, not a real freeze frame.
Edgar Degas. Two ballet dancers. 1879 Shelburne Museum, Vermouth, USA Edgar Degas loved to paint women. But illness or characteristics of the body did not allow him to have physical contact with them. He has never been married. No one had ever seen him with a woman.
The absence of real subjects in his personal life added a subtle and intense eroticism to his images.
Edgar Degas. Ballet star. 1876-1878 Musee d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.comons.org Please note that in the painting “Ballet Star” only the ballerina herself is depicted. Her colleagues behind the scenes are barely visible. Just a few legs.
This does not mean that Degas did not complete the painting. This is the reception. Keep only the most important things in focus. Make the rest disappear, illegible.
Read about other paintings by the master in the article
5. Berthe Morisot (1841 – 1895)
Edouard Manet. Portrait of Berthe Morisot. 1873 Marmottan-Monet Museum, Paris. Berthe Morisot is rarely placed in the first row with the great Impressionists. I'm sure it's not deserved. It is in her work that you will find all the main features and techniques of impressionism. And if you like impressionism, you will love her work with all your heart.
Morisot worked quickly and impetuously. Transferring your impression to canvas. The figures seem to be about to dissolve into space.
Berthe Morisot. Summer. 1880 Fabray Museum, Montpellier, France. Like Degas, she often left some details unfinished. And even parts of the model's body. We cannot distinguish the hands of the girl in the painting “Summer”.
Morisot's path to self-expression was difficult. Not only did she engage in “careless” painting. She was still a woman. In those days, a woman was supposed to dream of getting married. After which any hobbies were forgotten.
Therefore, Bertha refused marriage for a long time. Until she found a man who respected her occupation. Eugene Manet was the brother of the artist Edouard Manet. He dutifully yearned for his wife's easel and paints.
Berthe Morisot. Eugene Manet with his daughter in Bougival. 1881 Marmottan-Monet Museum, Paris. But still it was in the 19th century. No, I didn’t wear Morisot trousers. But she could not afford complete freedom of movement.
She couldn't go to the park to work alone. Unaccompanied by someone close to you. I couldn’t sit alone in a cafe. Therefore, her paintings are of people from the family circle. Husband, daughter, relatives.
Berthe Morisot. A woman with a child in a garden in Bougival. 1881 National Museum Wales, Cardiff. Morisot did not wait for recognition. She died at the age of 54 from pneumonia. Without selling almost any of his work during his lifetime. On her death certificate, there was a dash in the “occupation” column. It was unthinkable for a woman to be called an artist. Even if she actually was.
Read about the master’s paintings in the article
6. Camille Pissarro (1830 – 1903)
Camille Pissarro. Self-portrait. 1873 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Wikipedia.org Camille Pissarro. Non-conflict, reasonable. Many perceived him as a teacher. Even the most temperamental colleagues did not speak badly of Pissarro.
He was a faithful follower of impressionism. In great need, with five children and a wife, he still worked hard in the same style. And I never switched to salon painting. To become more popular. It is not known where he got the strength to fully believe in himself.
In order not to die of hunger at all, Pissarro painted fans. Which were eagerly bought up. But real recognition came to him after 60 years! When he was finally able to forget about his need.
Camille Pissarro. Stagecoach in Louveciennes. 1869 Musee d'Orsay, Paris The air in Pissarro's paintings is thick and dense. An extraordinary fusion of color and volume.
The artist was not afraid to paint the most changeable natural phenomena. Which will appear for a moment and disappear. First snow, frosty sun, long shadows.
Camille Pissarro. Frost. 1873 Musée d'Orsay, Paris His most famous works are views of Paris. With wide boulevards, a bustling and colorful crowd. At night, during the day, in different weather. In some ways echoing a series of paintings by Claude Monet.
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 onto 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 of fine art, which are 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. Classical canons French impressionism The paintings of Russian artists underwent some changes, as a result of which this direction 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 radically different from the traditional manner of depiction, aroused a lot of critical comments and rallied followers of the new art around the artist. artistic direction.
(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 Naughty Joke”, “La Orana Maria”, “Jacob’s Wrestling with an Angel”, “Yellow Christ”), Paul Cezanne (“Pierrot and Harlequin”, “Great Bathers”, “Lady in Blue”), Vincent Van Gogh ( Starlight 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. Works 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 to Alexander III in St. Petersburg).
Impressionist exhibition
First of all, I visited the exhibition for the third time in a wonderful Kiev hall Art Mall. I have already written about the miraculous technologies for displaying exhibitions on this site. I won’t repeat myself, I’ll just say that this time everything was great, there was no disappointment :). This latest exhibition featured paintings by all the leading masters of this art movement. If anyone doesn’t know, just in case, I’ll give a list of these same Impressionist masters:
- Edouard Manet. Although the artist himself constantly strived for official recognition, it was his scandalous famous picture“Breakfast on the Grass” has become a real symbol of the Salon of Rejects.
- Berthe Morisot. One of the few (I'm afraid to say that the only) female impressionist. In 2013, the painting “After Dinner” was sold at Sotheby’s for $10.9 million. This event made Morisot the most expensive artist.
- Camille Pissarro. I love his images of Parisian boulevards. The series with Boulevard Montmartre is considered one of the generally accepted symbols of impressionism.
- Claude Monet. Probably the most famous representative of the movement. In any case, it was his painting “Impression. Sunrise” at one time gave its name to the entire artistic movement.
- Edgar Degas. Here I would like to voice a slightly funny and exaggerated saying of the modern bohemian party: if there are a lot of little people, this is Bosch, if fat ballerinas are Degas :)
- Pierre Renoir. My favorite impressionist. And no more comments.
- Toulouse de Lautrec. Singer of entertainment and everyday life of Parisian bohemia and the “bottom”. Cabarets and brothels are his thing.
- Henri Cross. I was surprised to discover that I heard this name for the first time at the exhibition!
- Paul Signac. His lovely landscapes of bright, pure colors gave birth to a new movement of neo-impressionism - pointillism.
- Paul Cezanne. The main association I have with him is still lifes and a dislike for human models, and this is connected with my favorite funny situation.
- Paul Gauguin. One of the titans of post-impressionism. Almost complete lack of recognition during life and records for the sale of paintings after death.
- Vincent Van Gogh. Another star with an incredibly difficult creative and life destiny. And deafening glory after death...
These are all titans. Their paintings (reproductions) can be looked at for hours, which is what I did at the Kyiv exhibition. My photos don't represent anything artistic value, you will be able to find much better samples. But I’ll still post a couple of fragments from the exhibition:
Impressionist museums
As I already said, impressionism accompanies my entire adult life. Even on some resources, I impudently assign myself the nickname impressionism, thereby hinting not at my involvement, but at my special reverent attitude. That’s why I was wondering where you can see non-reproductions. and the originals? My personal experience is very small: while still a student I visited the glorious city of St. Petersburg and Hermitage. In the Hermitage I didn’t even try to grasp the immensity, but immediately found in which rooms you can look at impressionist paintings. Quite a big meeting! I’ll just mention a few of my favorite paintings:
Camille Pissarro. “Boulevard Montmartre in Paris” 1897
Paul Signac “Harbor in Marseille”. 1906-1907
Painting by Claude Monet “Waterloo Bridge. (Fog effect)"
Paul Gauguin. “Woman holding a fruit.” 1893
Auguste Renoir. “Girl with a fan.” 1881
Auguste Renoir. “Portrait of the actress Jeanne Samary.” 1878
But in addition to my own information, I also have the impressions of my friends. They, infected with feelings for the Impressionists no less than I was, visited Paris twice. And twice a mandatory part of their program was visits to museums that have collections of paintings from this direction. The key points of this Parisian cultural expedition are:
- Orangerie Museum– the richest collection of impressionists and post-impressionists. The most famous painting is C. Monet’s “Water Lilies”. It was only from friends that I learned that this painting, it turns out, was painted by the artist right on the wall of the museum and completely occupies separate room galleries.
- Orsay Museum is not considered specialized only in the works of the Impressionists, presented here various directions European painting and sculptures. But almost all of the masters who were included in the list that I posted above are exhibited in Orsay. What is worth at least one famous “Olympia” by Edouard Manet!
- Marmottan-Monet Museum has in its collection more than 300 impressionist paintings. Highlight: the iconic painting by Claude Monet “Impression. Sunrise". Yes, yes, exactly that one. Friends say that seeing her live is an enchanting feeling. I really envy them...
Claude Monet. Impression. Rising Sun
Impressionism first emerged in France towards the end XIX century. Before the emergence of this movement, still lifes, portraits and even landscapes were mainly painted by artists in studios. Impressionist paintings were often created in the open air, and their subjects were real fleeting scenes from modern life. And although impressionism was initially criticized, it soon attracted many followers and initiated similar movements in music and literature.
Famous French Impressionist Artists
It is not surprising that impressionism in painting became one of the most famous trends in fine art: artists who worked in this style left behind amazingly beautiful canvases, light, like a breath of fresh air, full of light and colors. Many of these beautiful works written by the following masters of impressionism, whom every self-respecting connoisseur of world painting knows.
Edouard Manet
Despite the fact that the entire work of Edouard Manet cannot be placed only within the framework of impressionism, the painter largely influenced the emergence of this movement, and other French artists working in this style considered him the founder of impressionism and their ideological inspirer. good friends The masters were other famous French impressionists: Edgar Degas, Pierre Auguste Renoir, as well as an impressionist artist with a similar surname, which baffles newcomers to the world of painting - Claude Monet.
After meeting these artists, impressionistic changes took place in Manet’s work: he began to prefer working in the open air, light, bright colors, an abundance of light and fractional composition began to predominate in his paintings. Although from dark colors he still does not refuse, and prefers painting in landscapes everyday genre- this can be seen in the painter’s works “Bar at the Folies Bergere”, “Music in the Tuileries”, “Breakfast on the Grass”, “At Father Lathuile’s”, “Argenteuil” and others.
Claude Monet
Name of this French artist Probably everyone has heard it at least once in their life. Claude Monet was one of the founders of impressionism, and it was his painting “Impression: The Rising Sun” that gave the movement its name.
In the 60s of the 19th century, the impressionist artist was one of the first to become interested in painting on fresh air, and many later created a new experimental approach to work. It consisted of observing and depicting the same object at different times of the day: this is how a whole series of canvases with a view of the facade was created Rouen Cathedral, opposite which the artist even settled so as not to lose sight of the building.
When exploring impressionism in painting, don't miss Monet's Field of Poppies at Argenteuil, Walk to the Cliff at Pourville, Women in the Garden, Lady with an Umbrella, Boulevard des Capucines, and the Watermen series. lilies."
Pierre Auguste Renoir
This impressionist artist had a unique vision of beauty, which made Renoir one of the most famous representatives of this direction. First of all, he is famous for his paintings of noisy Parisian life and leisure at the end of the 19th century. Renoir was excellent at working with color and chiaroscuro; his exceptional ability to paint nudes, with a unique rendering of tones and textures, is especially noted.
Already from the 80s, the impressionist artist began to lean more towards the classical style of painting and became interested in Renaissance painting, which forced him to include sharper lines and clearer composition in his mature works. It was during this period that Pierre Auguste Renoir created some of the most imperishable works of his era.
Pay special attention to such paintings by Renoir as “The Luncheon of the Rowers”, “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette”, “Dance in the Village”, “Umbrellas”, “Dance at Bougival”, “Girls at the Piano”.
Edgar Degas
In the history of art, Edgar Degas remained as an impressionist artist, although he himself rejected this label, preferring to call himself more of an independent artist. Indeed, he had a certain interest in realism, which distinguished the artist from other impressionists, but at the same time he used many impressionist techniques in his work, in particular, he “played” with light in the same way and was fond of depicting scenes from city life.
Degas was always attracted by the human figure, he often depicted singers, dancers, laundresses, trying to depict the human body in various positions, for example, on the canvases “Dance Class”, “Rehearsal”, “Concert in the Ambassador Cafe”, “Opera Orchestra”, “ Dancers in blue."
Camille Pissarro
Pissarro was the only artist who took part in all eight Impressionist exhibitions from 1874 to 1886. While Impressionist paintings are known for their scenes of urban and country holidays, Pissarro's paintings show the viewer the daily life of French peasants, depicting rural nature V different conditions and under different lighting conditions.
When getting acquainted with the paintings that this impressionist artist painted, first of all it is worth seeing the works “Boulevard Montmartre at Night”, “The Harvest at Eragny”, “The Reapers Resting”, “The Garden at Pontoise” and “Entering the Village of Voisin”.