Impressionists

In the late 1800s, artists in France were trying different ways of painting. They experimented with color and light and began to paint outdoors; they even broke rules which western artists followed for a long time. These artists were known as IMPRESSIONISTS. 

So how did the Impressionists got their name?

They got their name from an oil painting done by Claude Monet. He painted a picture of sunrise and called it as "Impression, Sunrise". He used very loose brushstrokes without precise clean lines; it shocked the entire art world but it paved the way for a new style of art. 

Claude Monet: Impression, Sunrise

Source: Wikipedia

What inspired Impressionists?

Prior to Impressionism, other artists emphasized common subjects, but their method of composition was traditional. Their arranged their compositions so that the main subject commanded the viewer's attention.  Impressionists relaxed the boundary between subject and background so that the effect of an impressionist painting often resembles a snapshot. They were inspired by photography which represent momentary action, not only in the fleeting lights of a landscape, but in the day-to-day lives of people. The Impressionists sought to express their perception of nature , rather than create exact representations. They were the first ones to consciously offer a subjective alternative to the photograph.

Another major influence was  ukiyo-e art prints (Japonism). The art of these prints contributed significantly to the "snapshot" angles and unconventional compositions that became characteristic of Impressionism.

Who were the Impressionists?

Camille Pissarro (1830–1903)

Édouard Manet (1832–1883)

Edgar Degas (1834–1917)

Alfred Sisley (1839–1899)

Paul Cézanne (1839–1906)

Claude Monet (1840–1926)

Frédéric Bazille (1841–1870)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919)

Berthe Morisot (1841–1895)

Mary Cassatt (1844–1926)

Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894)