Impressionism

A nineteenth-century art movement that emphasized modern life and the changing effects of light through visible, often loose brushwork. Its artists worked chiefly in painting, though the movement also shaped music and literature.

En plein air: A method of painting outdoors directly from observation rather than primarily in a studio. Working outdoors let Impressionists observe changing light and paint its effects directly.
Paris Salon: The official annual art exhibition in Paris, which shaped artistic reputations and access to commissions. Impressionists organized independent exhibitions partly in response to the Salon’s selection system.
Claude Monet: A French painter whose serial studies of landscapes and buildings explored changing light and atmosphere. Monet’s practice of painting the same subject under different conditions became a movement touchstone.
Ballet Rehearsal: A series of paintings by Edgar Degas depicting dancers rehearsing and performing at the Paris Opéra. Degas’s backstage subject shows Impressionism’s interest in modern urban entertainment.
Post-Impressionism: A broad term for late nineteenth-century art that extended or rejected Impressionism’s approaches. Artists such as Cézanne and Seurat built new methods from problems Impressionists had opened.
Broken color: A painting technique that places distinct strokes of color beside one another rather than blending them smoothly. Separate strokes let colors mix optically and preserve the sensation of fleeting light.
Salon des Refusés: An 1863 exhibition in Paris that displayed artworks rejected by the official Salon. Its challenge to Salon authority foreshadowed independent exhibition strategies.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir: A French painter known for portraits, social scenes, and luminous depictions of people. Renoir brought modern leisure and human warmth to Impressionist painting.
The Cradle: Berthe Morisot’s 1872 painting of a woman watching a sleeping infant in a cradle. Its intimate domestic scene expands the movement beyond public leisure and landscape.
Georges Seurat: A French painter who developed Neo-Impressionism through systematic dots and color theory. Seurat’s controlled optical method contrasted with Impressionism’s varied, spontaneous brushwork.

Linked from 118 pages