MODERN ART

Impressionism
• Impressionism was an art movement that emerged in the second half of the 19th
• century among a group of Paris-based artists. The duration of the impressionist
• movement itself was quite short, less than 20 years from 1872 to the mid-1880s.
But
• it had a tremendous impact and influence on the painting styles that followed, such
as
• neo-impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, and cubism—and even the
artistic
• styles and movements of today.
• The term precisely captured what this group of artists sought to represent in their
• works: the viewer’s momentary “impression” of an image. It was not intended to
be clear or precise, but more like a fleeting fragment of reality caught on canvas,
• sometimes in mid-motion, at other times awkwardly positioned—just as it would be
• in real life.
 SUNRISE
CLAUDE MONET, 1872
 Eugene Delacroix

• One major influence was the work of French

painter Eugène Delacroix.
• Delacroix was greatly admired and emulated
by the early impressionists—specifically
• for his use of expressive brushstrokes, his
emphasis on movement rather than on
• clarity of form, and most of all his study of
the optical effects of color.
The Barque of Dante
 Impressionism: A Break from Painting
Traditions
here were several areas in which impressionist
artists moved away from the established
practices of art at that time. These involved their
use of color, choice of subject matter and setting,
and technique for capturing light and conveying
 Color and Light
• The painting conventions and techniques of earlier art periods
were very much
• concerned with line, form, and composition. In contrast, the
impressionists painted
• with freely brushed colors that conveyed more of a visual effect
than a detailed
• rendering of the subject. They used short “broken” strokes that
were intentionally
• made visible to the viewer. They also often placed pure unmixed
colors side by side,
• rather than blended smoothly or shaded. The result was a feeling
of energy and
• intensity, as the colors appeared to shift and move—again, just
as they do in reality.
 “Everyday Subjects”
• Impressionists also began to break away from the
creation of formally posed portraits and grandiose
depictions of mythical, literary, historical, or
religious subjects. They ventured into capturing
scenes of life around them, household objects,
landscapes and seascapes, houses, cafes, and
buildings. They presented ordinary people
seemingly caught off-guard doing everyday tasks, at
work or at leisure, or doing nothing at all. And they
were not made to look beautiful or lifelike, as body
parts could be distorted and facial features merely
suggested by a few strokes of the brush.
 Painting Outdoor
• The location in which the impressionists
painted was also different. Previously, still
life's, portraits, and landscapes were usually
painted inside a studio. However, the
impressionists found that they could best
capture the ever-changing effects of light on
color by painting outdoors in natural light. This
gave their works a freshness and immediacy
that was quite a change from the stiffer,
heavier, more planned paintings of earlier
masters.
 Open Composition
Impressionist painting also moved away
from the formal, structured approach to
placing and positioning their subjects. They
experimented with unusual visual angles,
sizes of objects that appeared out of
proportion, off-center placement, and empty
spaces on the canvas.
 Influence of Photography
• Photography was in its early stages at this time as
well. As it gained popularity, photography
inspired impressionists to capture fleeting
moments of action, whether in landscapes or in
the day-to-day lives of people. But whereas
camera snapshots provided objective, true-to-life
images, the artists were able to offer a subjective
view of their subjects, expressing their personal
perceptions rather than creating exact
representations. They also had the advantage of
manipulating color, which photography at that
time still lacked.
• 1 long bond paper
• Pencil
• Colors
 Edouard Manet
Edouard Manet (1832-1883) was one of the
first 19th century artists to depict modern-life
subjects. He was a key figure in the transition
from realism to impressionism, with a number
of his works considered as marking the birth of
modern art.
Argenteuil and Rue Mosnier Decked With Flags
Café Concert and The Bar at the Folies-Begere
 Claude Monet
(1840-1926) was one of the founders of the
impressionist movement along with his friends
Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frédéric
Bazille. He was the most prominent of the
group; and is considered the most influential
figure in the movement. Monet is best known
for his landscape paintings, particularly those
depicting his beloved flower gardens and water
lily ponds at his home in Giverny.
La Promenade and The Red Boats, Argentuil
Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies
and Irises in Monet’s Garden
 Auguste Renoir
(1841-1919), along with Claude Monet, was
one of the central figures of the impressionist
movement. His early works were snapshots of
real life, full of sparkling color and light. By the
mid-1880s, however, Renoir broke away from
the impressionist movement to apply a more
disciplined, formal technique to portraits of
actual people and figure paintings.
Dancer and A Girl with a Watering Can
Mlle Irene cahen d’Anvers and
Luncheon of the Boating Party
 Post-Impressionism:
Works of Cezanne and Van Gogh
After the brief yet highly influential period of
impressionism, an outgrowth movement known as
post-impressionism emerged. The European artists
who were at the forefront of this movement
continued using the basic qualities of the
impressionists before them—the vivid colors, heavy
brush strokes, and true-to-life subjects. However,
they expanded and experimented with these in
bold new ways, like using a geometric approach,
fragmenting objects and distorting people’s faces
and body parts, and applying colors that were not
necessarily realistic or natural
 PAUL CEZANNE
(1839–1906) was a French artist and post-
impressionist painter. His work exemplified the
transition from late 19th-century
impressionism to a new and radically different
world of art in the 20th century—paving the
way for the next revolutionary art movement
known as expressionism
Hortense Fiquet in a Striped Skirt
and Still Life With Compotier
Harlequin and Boy in a Red Vest
 VINCENT VAN GOGH
was a post-impressionist painter from The
Netherlands. His works were remarkable for
their strong, heavy brush strokes, intense
emotions, and colors that appeared to almost
pulsate with energy. Van Gogh’s striking style
was to have a far-reaching influence on 20th
century art, with his works becoming among the
most recognized in the world.
Sheaves of Wheat in a Field and
The Sower
 Still Life: Vase with Fifteen
Sunflowers and Bedroom at Aries
 Starry Night and
Wheat Field with Cypresses