European art The late 19th century was enriched by the emergence of modernism. Later, its influence spread to music and literature. It was called “impressionism” because it was based on the artist’s subtlest impressions, images and moods.
Origins and history
Several young artists formed a group in the second half of the 19th century. They had a common goal and the same interests. The main thing for this company was to work in nature, without workshop walls and various limiting factors. In their paintings they sought to convey all the sensuality, the impression of the play of light and shadow. Landscapes and portraits reflected the unity of the soul with the Universe, with the surrounding world. Their paintings are true poetry of colors.
In 1874, an exhibition of this group of artists was held. Landscape by Claude Monet “Impression. Sunrise” caught the eye of the critic, who in his review for the first time called these creators impressionists (from the French impression - “impression”).
The prerequisites for the birth of the style of impressionism, the paintings of whose representatives would soon become incredible success, steel works of the Renaissance. The work of the Spaniards Velazquez, El Greco, the English Turner, Constable unconditionally influenced the French, who were the founders of impressionism.
Prominent representatives of the style in France were Pissarro, Manet, Degas, Sisley, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir and others.
Philosophy of impressionism in painting
The artists who painted in this style did not set themselves the task of attracting public attention to troubles. In their works one cannot find subjects on the topic of the day; one cannot receive a moral lesson or notice human contradictions.
Paintings in the impressionist style are aimed at conveying a momentary mood, developing color schemes of a mysterious nature. There is only room for a positive beginning in the works; gloominess avoided the impressionists.
In fact, the impressionists did not bother themselves with thinking through the plot and details. The most important factor It wasn’t about what to draw, but how to portray and convey my mood.
Painting technique
The difference between the academic style of drawing and the technique of the impressionists is colossal. They simply abandoned many methods, and changed some beyond recognition. Here are the innovations they introduced:
- We abandoned the circuit. It was replaced with strokes - small and contrasting.
- We stopped using palettes for colors that complement each other and do not require merging to achieve a certain effect. For example, yellow is purple.
- Stopped painting in black.
- They completely abandoned work in workshops. They painted exclusively on location, to make it easier to capture a moment, an image, a feeling.
- Only paints with good covering power were used.
- We didn’t wait for the new layer to dry. Fresh strokes were applied immediately.
- They created cycles of works to follow changes in light and shadow. For example, “Haystacks” by Claude Monet.
Of course, not all artists followed the exact features of the Impressionist style. Edouard Manet's paintings, for example, never participated in joint exhibitions, and he positioned himself as a separate artist. Edgar Degas worked only in workshops, but this did not harm the quality of his works.
Representatives of French Impressionism
The first exhibition of Impressionist works dates back to 1874. 12 years later, their last exhibition took place. The first work in this style can be called “Luncheon on the Grass” by E. Manet. This painting was presented in the “Salon of the Rejected”. It was met with hostility because it was very different from the academic canons. That is why Manet becomes a figure around whom a circle of followers of this stylistic movement gathers.
Unfortunately, contemporaries did not appreciate such a style as impressionism. Paintings and artists existed in disagreement with official art.
Gradually, Claude Monet came to the fore in the group of painters, who would later become their leader and the main ideologist of impressionism.
Claude Monet (1840—1926)
The work of this artist can be described as a hymn to impressionism. It was he who was the first to abandon the use of black in his paintings, citing the fact that even shadows and night have different tones.
The world in Monet’s paintings is unclear outlines, spacious strokes, looking at which you can feel the whole spectrum of the play of colors of day and night, seasons, and the harmony of the sublunary world. Just a moment that was snatched from the flow of life, in Monet’s understanding, is impressionism. His paintings seem to have no materiality; they are all saturated with rays of light and air currents.
Claude Monet created amazing works: “Gare Saint-Lazare”, “Rouen Cathedral”, the “Charing Cross Bridge” series and many others.
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
Renoir's creations create the impression of extraordinary lightness, airiness, and ethereality. The plot was born as if by chance, but it is known that the artist carefully thought through all stages of his work and worked from morning to night.
A distinctive feature of O. Renoir's work is the use of glaze, which is only possible when painting. Impressionism in the artist's works is manifested in every stroke. He perceives a person as a particle of nature itself, which is why there are so many paintings with nudes.
Renoir's favorite pastime was depicting a woman in all her attractive and attractive beauty. Portraits occupy a special place in creative life artist. “Umbrellas”, “Girl with a Fan”, “Breakfast of the Rowers” are only a small part of the amazing collection of paintings by Auguste Renoir.
Georges Seurat (1859-1891)
Seurat associated the process of creating paintings with the scientific substantiation of color theory. The light-air environment was drawn based on the dependence of the main and additional tones.
Despite the fact that J. Seurat is a representative of the final stage of impressionism, and his technique is in many ways different from the founders, he, in the same way, creates with the help of strokes an illusory representation of an object form, which can be viewed and seen only from a distance.
The paintings “Sunday Afternoon”, “Cancan”, “Models” can be called masterpieces of creativity.
Representatives of Russian impressionism
Russian impressionism arose almost spontaneously, mixing many phenomena and methods. However, the basis, like the French, was a natural vision of the process.
In Russian impressionism, although the features of the French were preserved, the features national nature and states of mind made significant changes. For example, visions of snow or northern landscapes were expressed using unusual techniques.
In Russia, few artists worked in the impressionist style; their paintings still attract attention to this day.
The impressionistic period can be distinguished in the work of Valentin Serov. His "Girl with Peaches" - the clearest example and the standard of this style in Russia.
The paintings captivate with their freshness and harmony of pure colors. The main topic The work of this artist is the image of a person in nature. “Northern Idyll”, “In a Boat”, “Fedor Chaliapin” are bright milestones in K. Korovin’s work.
Impressionism in modern times
Currently, this direction in art has received new life. Several artists paint their paintings in this style. Modern impressionism exists in Russia (Andre Cohn), in France (Laurent Parselier), in America (Diana Leonard).
Andre Cohn is the most prominent representative of the new impressionism. His oil paintings are striking in their simplicity. The artist sees beauty in everyday things. The creator interprets many objects through the prism of movement.
The whole world knows Laurent Parselier's watercolor works. His series of works Strange world"was released in the form of postcards. Magnificent, vibrant and sensual, they will take your breath away.
As in the 19th century, at the moment, artists remain plein air painting. Thanks to her, impressionism will live forever. artists continue to be inspired, impressed and encouraged.
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 whom has a unique technique 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 the outside 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. According to her, the artist’s strength is plein air painting. The instrument 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.
One of the largest movements in art last decades The nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth is impressionism, which spread throughout the world from France. Its representatives were engaged in the development of such methods and techniques of painting that would make it possible to most vividly and naturally reflect real world in dynamics, to convey fleeting impressions of him.
Many artists created their canvases in the style of impressionism, but the founders of the movement were Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, Frederic Basil, Camille Pissarro. It is impossible to name their best works, since they are all beautiful, but there are the most famous ones, and they will be discussed further.
Claude Monet: “Impression. Rising Sun"
The canvas with which you should start a conversation about the best paintings of the Impressionists. Claude Monet painted it in 1872 from life in the old port of Le Havre, France. Two years later, the painting was first shown to the public in the former studio of the French artist and caricaturist Nadar. This exhibition became fateful for the art world. Impressed (not at all) in the best sense) by Monet, whose title in the original language sounds like “Impression, soleil levant,” journalist Louis Leroy first coined the term “impressionism,” denoting a new direction in painting.
The painting was stolen in 1985 along with works by O. Renoir and B. Morisot. It was discovered five years later. Currently “Impression. Rising sun"belongs to the Marmottan-Monet Museum in Paris.
Edouard Monet: "Olympia"
Painting "Olympia" created by French impressionist Edouard Manet in 1863, is one of the masterpieces of modern painting. It was first presented at the Paris Salon in 1865. Impressionist artists and their paintings often found themselves in the center high-profile scandals. However, Olympia caused the largest of them in the history of art.
On the canvas we see a naked woman, her face and body facing the audience. The second character is a dark-skinned maid holding a luxurious bouquet wrapped in paper. At the foot of the bed there is a black kitten in a characteristic pose with an arched back. Not much is known about the history of the creation of the painting; only two sketches have reached us. The model was most likely Manet's favorite model, Quiz Meunard. There is an opinion that the artist used the image of Marguerite Bellanger, Napoleon's mistress.
During the period of creativity when Olympia was created, Manet was fascinated Japanese art, and therefore deliberately refused to work out the nuances of dark and light. Because of this, his contemporaries did not see the volume of the depicted figure and considered it flat and rough. The artist was accused of immorality and vulgarity. Never before have Impressionist paintings caused such excitement and mockery from the crowd. The administration was forced to place guards around her. Degas compared Manet's fame through Olympia and the courage with which he accepted criticism to the life story of Garibaldi.
For almost a quarter of a century after the exhibition, the canvas was kept out of reach of prying eyes by the artist’s studio. Then it was exhibited again in Paris in 1889. It was almost bought, but the artist’s friends collected the required amount and bought “Olympia” from Manet’s widow, and then donated it to the state. Now the painting belongs to the Orsay Museum in Paris.
Auguste Renoir: "Great Bathers"
The picture is painted French artist in 1884-1887 Taking everything into account now famous paintings impressionists between 1863 and the beginning of the twentieth century, "Great Bathers" is called the largest canvas with nudes female figures. Renoir worked on it for more than three years, and during this period many sketches and sketches were created. There was no other painting in his work that he devoted so much time to.
In the foreground, the viewer sees three naked women, two of whom are on the shore, and the third is standing in the water. The figures are painted very realistically and clearly, which is characteristic feature artist's style. Renoir's models were Alina Charigo (his future wife) and Suzanne Valadon, who in the future herself became a famous artist.
Edgar Degas: "Blue Dancers"
Not all famous Impressionist paintings listed in the article were painted in oil on canvas. The photo above allows you to understand what the painting “Blue Dancers” represents. It was made in pastels on a sheet of paper measuring 65x65 cm and belongs to the late period of the artist’s work (1897). He painted it with already impaired vision, so paramount importance is attached to decorative organization: the image is perceived as large spots of color, especially when viewed close up. The theme of dancers was close to Degas. It was repeated many times in his work. Many critics believe that due to the harmony of color and composition “ Blue dancers"can be considered best job artist on this topic. Currently, the painting is kept in the Museum of Art. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.
Frédéric Bazille: "Pink Dress"
One of the founders of French impressionism, Frédéric Bazille, was born into a bourgeois family of a wealthy winemaker. While still studying at the Lyceum, he began to become interested in painting. Having moved to Paris, he made acquaintance with C. Monet and O. Renoir. Unfortunately, the artist was destined for a short life path. He died at the age of 28 at the front during the Franco-Prussian War. However, his paintings, albeit few in number, are rightfully included in the list of “ Best pictures Impressionists." One of them is “Pink Dress,” painted in 1864. By all indications, the canvas can be attributed to early impressionism: color contrasts, attention to color, sunlight and a frozen moment, the very thing that was called “impression.” One of the artist’s cousins, Teresa de Hors, acted as a model. The painting currently belongs to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Camille Pissarro: “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny"
Camille Pissarro became famous thanks to his landscapes, characteristic feature which is the drawing of light and illuminated objects. His works had a significant influence on the genre of impressionism. The artist independently developed many of his inherent principles, which formed the basis for his future creativity.
Pissarro loved to write the same passage in different times days. He has a whole series of canvases with Parisian boulevards and streets. The most famous of them is “Boulevard Montmartre” (1897). It reflects all the charm that the artist sees in the seething and restless life of this corner of Paris. Viewing the boulevard from the same place, he shows it to the viewer on a sunny and cloudy day, in the morning, afternoon and late evening. The photo below shows the painting “Montmartre Boulevard at Night”.
This style was subsequently adopted by many artists. We will only mention which Impressionist paintings were written under the influence of Pissarro. This trend is clearly visible in Monet’s work (the “Haystacks” series of paintings).
Alfred Sisley: "Lawns in Spring"
“Lawns in Spring” is one of the latest paintings by landscape painter Alfred Sisley, painted in 1880-1881. In it, the viewer sees a forest path along the banks of the Seine with a village on the opposite bank. In the foreground is a girl - the artist's daughter Jeanne Sisley.
The artist’s landscapes convey the authentic atmosphere of the historical region of Ile-de-France and retain a special softness and transparency natural phenomena, characteristic of specific times of the year. The artist was never a supporter of unusual effects and adhered to a simple composition and a limited palette of colors. The painting is now kept in the National Gallery in London.
We have listed the most famous Impressionist paintings (with names and descriptions). These are masterpieces of world painting. The unique style of painting, which originated in France, was initially perceived with ridicule and irony; critics emphasized the open negligence of the artists in painting their canvases. Now hardly anyone dares to challenge their genius. Impressionist paintings are exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world and are a coveted exhibit for any private collection.
The style has not sunk into oblivion and has many followers. Our compatriot Andrei Koch, French painter Laurent Parselier, Americans Diana Leonard and Karen Tarleton are famous modern impressionists. Their paintings were made in best traditions genre, filled bright colors, bold strokes and life. In the photo above is the work of Laurent Parselier “In the Rays of the Sun”.
Just a year ago, the phrase “Russian Impressionism” grated on the ears of the average citizen of our vast country. Every educated person knows about light, bright and swift french impressionism, can distinguish Monet from Manet and recognize Van Gogh's sunflowers from all still lifes. Someone heard something about the American branch of the development of this direction of painting - more urban landscapes of Hassam and portrait images of Chase compared to the French ones. But researchers still argue about the existence of Russian impressionism.
Konstantin Korovin
The history of Russian impressionism began with the painting “Portrait of a Chorus Girl” by Konstantin Korovin, as well as with misunderstanding and condemnation of the public. Seeing this work for the first time, I. E. Repin did not immediately believe that the work was executed by a Russian painter: “Spaniard! It's obvious. He writes boldly and juicily. Wonderful. But this is just painting for painting's sake. A Spaniard, however, with a temperament...” Konstantin Alekseevich himself began to paint his canvases in an impressionistic manner back in student years, being unfamiliar with the paintings of Cezanne, Monet and Renoir, long before his trip to France. Only thanks to the experienced eye of Polenov, Korovin learned that he was using the French technique of that time, which he came to intuitively. At the same time, the Russian artist is given away by the subjects that he uses for his paintings - recognized masterpiece"Northern Idyll", written in 1892 and kept in Tretyakov Gallery, demonstrates to us Korovin’s love for Russian traditions and folklore. This love was instilled in the artist by the “Mammoth circle” - the community creative intelligentsia, which included Repin, Polenov, Vasnetsov, Vrubel and many other friends of the famous philanthropist Savva Mamontov. In Abramtsevo, where Mamontov’s estate was located and where members of the artistic circle gathered, Korovin was lucky enough to meet and work with Valentin Serov. Thanks to this acquaintance, the work of the already accomplished artist Serov acquired the features of light, bright and swift impressionism, which we see in one of his early works – « Open window. Lilac".
Portrait of a chorus girl, 1883
Northern idyll, 1886
Bird cherry, 1912
Gurzuf 2, 1915
Pier in Gurzuf, 1914
Paris, 1933
Valentin Serov
Serov’s painting is permeated with a feature inherent only in Russian impressionism - his paintings reflect not only the impression of what the artist saw, but also the state of his soul at the moment. For example, in the painting “St. Mark’s Square in Venice,” painted in Italy, where Serov went to in 1887 due to a serious illness, cold gray tones predominate, which gives us an idea of the artist’s condition. But, despite the rather gloomy palette, the painting is a standard impressionistic work, since in it Serov managed to capture the real world in its mobility and variability, and convey his fleeting impressions. In a letter to his bride from Venice, Serov wrote: “In this century They write everything that is hard, nothing joyful. I want, I want, gratifying things, and I will write only gratifying things.”
Open window. Lilac, 1886
St. Mark's Square in Venice, 1887
Girl with peaches (Portrait of V. S. Mamontova)
Coronation. Confirmation of Nicholas II in the Assumption Cathedral, 1896
Girl illuminated by the sun, 1888
Bathing a horse, 1905
Alexander Gerasimov
One of the students of Korovin and Serov, who adopted their expressive brushwork, bright palette and sketch style of painting, was Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov. The artist’s creativity flourished during the revolution, which could not help but be reflected in the subjects of his paintings. Despite the fact that Gerasimov gave his brush to the service of the party and became famous thanks to his outstanding portraits of Lenin and Stalin, he continued to work on impressionistic landscapes that were close to his soul. Alexander Mikhailovich’s work “After the Rain” reveals to us the artist as a master of conveying air and light in a painting, which Gerasimov owes to the influence of his eminent mentors.
Artists at Stalin's dacha, 1951
Stalin and Voroshilov in the Kremlin, 1950s
After the rain. Wet terrace, 1935
Still life. Field bouquet, 1952
Igor Grabar
In a conversation about late Russian impressionism, one cannot help but turn to the work of the great artist Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, who adopted many of the techniques of French painters of the second half of the 19th century century thanks to his numerous trips to Europe. Using the techniques of classical impressionists, in his paintings Grabar depicts absolutely Russian landscape motifs and everyday scenes. While Monet is painting blooming gardens Giverny, and Degas - beautiful ballerinas, Grabar depicts the harsh Russian winter and village life with the same pastel colors. Most of all, Grabar loved to depict frost on his canvases and dedicated an entire collection of works to it, consisting of more than a hundred small multi-colored sketches created at different times of the day and in different weather. The difficulty of working on such drawings was that the paint froze in the cold, so we had to work quickly. But this is precisely what allowed the artist to recreate “that very moment” and convey his impression of it, which is the main idea of classical impressionism. Igor Emmanuilovich’s painting style is often called scientific impressionism, because it gave great value light and air on canvases and created a lot of research on color transmission. Moreover, it is to him that we owe chronological arrangement paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery, of which he was director in 1920-1925.
Birch Alley, 1940
Winter landscape, 1954
Frost, 1905
Pears on a blue tablecloth, 1915
Corner of the estate (Ray of the Sun), 1901
Yuri Pimenov
Completely non-classical, but still impressionism developed in Soviet era, a prominent representative of which is Yuri Ivanovich Pimenov, who came to depict “a fleeting impression in bed colors” after working in the style of expressionism. One of the most famous works Pimenov becomes the painting “New Moscow” of the 1930s - light, warm, as if painted with the airy strokes of Renoir. But at the same time, the plot of this work is completely incompatible with one of the main ideas of impressionism - refusal to use social and political themes. Pimenov’s “New Moscow” perfectly reflects social change in the life of the city, which have always inspired the artist. “Pimenov loves Moscow, its new, its people. The painter generously gives this feeling to the viewer,” writes artist and researcher Igor Dolgopolov in 1973. And indeed, looking at the paintings of Yuri Ivanovich, we are imbued with love for Soviet life, new neighborhoods, lyrical housewarmings and urbanism, captured in the technique of impressionism.
Pimenov’s creativity once again proves that everything “Russian” brought from other countries has its own special and unique path of development. So is French impressionism in Russian Empire and the Soviet Union absorbed the features of the Russian worldview, national character and everyday life. Impressionism as a way of conveying only the perception of reality in its pure form remained alien to Russian art, because every painting by Russian artists is filled with meaning, awareness, the state of the changeable Russian soul, and not just a fleeting impression. Therefore, next weekend, when the Museum of Russian Impressionism re-presents the main exhibition to Muscovites and guests of the capital, everyone will find something for themselves among Serov’s sensual portraits, Pimenov’s urbanism and landscapes atypical for Kustodiev.
New Moscow
Lyrical housewarming, 1965
Costume room Bolshoi Theater, 1972
Early morning in Moscow, 1961
Paris. Rue Saint-Dominique. 1958
Stewardess, 1964
Perhaps for most people the names Korovin, Serov, Gerasimov and Pimenov are still not associated with a specific art style, but the Museum of Russian Impressionism, which opened in May 2016 in Moscow, nevertheless collected the works of these artists under one roof.
It is believed that art has no boundaries. Nevertheless, people have 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. In their works they paid great 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.
Paintings modern impressionists cause 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 the artist I.J. Paprocki (E.J. Paprocki).
In his paintings, 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.
