IWT1 Task 1
000251565 Polly A. Welch

Impressionism and Post Impressionism

In Paris in the late 19th century (1874-1882), several artists who called themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc. organized an exhibit that launched the movement called Impressionism. These artists, such as Eduoard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Mary Cassatt, sparked worldwide following and revolutionized Western conceptions of painting. Appearing to other artists to be a group, these independent painters with quite diverse artistic approaches, were only unified in their rejection by the official annual Salon (the Académie des Beaux-Arts which is a French academic organization that
They searched for meaning in their art. The Post-Impressionists rejected Impressionism’s focus on spontaneous and naturalistic rendering of light and color. Instead, they placed emphasis on more meaningful and emotional content, formal order and structure. However, like the Impressionists, they stressed the artificiality of the picture. Both Impressionism and Post-Impressionism include some of the most famous works of modern art such as Monet’s “Waterlilies, a Series of Waterscapes”, and van Gogh’s “Starry Night”. Impression Sunrise
Claude Monet
Painting, Oil on Canvas
1872

The “Impression Sunrise”, by Claude Monet is painting that led to the name of the Impressionist movement. The very characteristics known to Impressionism are seen here: The sketch-like appearance; short brush strokes; movement demonstrated in the appearance of waves and reflection of sunlight. The subject matter is commonplace. This painting was not meant to evoke emotion. The Red Vineyard
Vincent van Gogh
Painting, Oil on Canvas
1888

“The Red Vineyard”, by Vincent van Gogh is believed to be the only painting sold during his lifetime. As you can see, the appearance of movement is shown in the water with the waves and reflection of the sun. The main difference here is the use of high-keyed color and the geometric shapes of the subjects. Although many paintings were still