For my first round of research, I will be exploring the foundations of the impressionist era. For example, who were the artists which created the art style, what is impressionism, who were some artists who represented the end if the era, and what were some of the cultural creations which began from impressionism?
Firstly, the very definition of impressionism originated from the French word “Impressioniste”, and was used as a reference to one of the earliest works of the era by Claude Monet, “Soleil Levant (1872)”. (1) Where French art critic Louise Leroy accused the painting of being unfinished. (2)
Claude Monet, Soleil Levant (1872)
Building on this specific painting, in the most important year for impressionists, 1874, a group of artists going by the name “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc.” hosted their first exhibition in Paris, which was one of the most important dates which launched the art movement which we recognize as impressionism today. The members of this society who put this era forward were Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, among many (3). Some of the other earliest works also include:
Camille Pissaro, the Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning, 1987.
The Dance Class, 1873-1876, Edgar Degas.
All of which kickstarted the ethereal era which is impressionism. Although, many in the beginning found the art style contemporary and pointless, most famously, the Royal Academy of Art found it to be an almost knock-off from realism, and a vulgar usage of colour (4). Apart from the Royal Academies’ criticism, many writers and other artists of the era found impressionism to be an authentic depiction of modern reality, a time-shot.
And while we praise the mass of the impressionists who were men, it is also critical to examine the small population of female artists who added to the era as well. Artists include Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, and Marie Bracquemond among many (5).
Summer’s Day (1879), Summer’s Day.
Marry Cassatt, “Summertime” (1893-1894)
Moreover, many argue that the end of the impressionists was with the death of Claude Monet in 1926. However, the start of the end was more or less in 1886 when the aforementioned group split ways as a result of social and artistic differences. Some of the most famous pieces from the eighth and final official impressionist painting included the works of Degas, Cassatt, Renoir, and Pissarro among many others. The Neo-impressionist era also began thanks to artists Paul Signac and Georges Seurat, marking the onset of the post-Impressionist era (6).
Georges-Pierre Seurat (1884-1885) (post-impressionist era).
Poster for the last exposition.
Lastly, although the physical art from the impressionist era officially ended with the last exposition in 1886, one of the era’s most significant impacts was its power over the music over the era. In classical music, impressionism was a result of the post-romantic era, where just like the physical, artists focused on emotion and the expression of it. This music era is commonly associated with composes Claude Debussy (not to be mistaken with Claude Monet) and Maurice Ravel. Although during the time many didn’t use the term impressionist to refer to this genre of music, both movements have roots in France and share the same view on emotion and perspective within their respective art (7).
Thank you for reading!
-Sanam M.
Sources:
(1) American Psychological Association. (n.d.).Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://dictionary.apa.org/
(2) Louis Leroy (1812-1885) who first coined the term “impressionists”. Louis Leroy: French Art Critic, Invented the Name Impressionism. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2023, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/critics/louis-leroy.htm
(3) Samu, M. (1AD, January 1).Impressionism: Art and modernity: Essay: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn timeline of art history. The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm
(4) About impressionism. What is Impressionism, History of Impressionism and Impressionists, start of impressionism movement. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2023, from http://www.impressionism.org/teachimpress/browse/aboutimpress.htm
(5) Women impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond. FAMSF. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.famsf.org/press-room/women-impressionists-berthe-morisot-mary-cassatt-eva-gonzales-marie-bracquemond
(6) Gersh-Nesic, B. (2019, June 17).Why were the eight Impressionist exhibitions significant? Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-eight-impressionist-exhibitions-183266
(7) Impressionism in music: A guide to impressionism in music – 2023. MasterClass. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/impressionism-music-explained
Hey Sanam,
This is a well-researched post that covers the foundations and end of the Impressionist era. The inclusion of examples of art and music from the era, as well as the role of female artists in the movement, adds depth to the post. In future posts, it might be helpful to provide more analysis and interpretation of the significance of Impressionism in art history, perhaps by discussing its impact on later art movements or its broader cultural and historical context. Additionally, it might be interesting to explore how Impressionism was received and interpreted outside of France, or how it influenced art and culture in other parts of the world.
Here are two links you might find helpful for your further research!
https://www.moma.org/
https://art21.org/
Hi Sanam,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post as all your research information was well organized, put in words that are easy to follow and understand, and you included relevant and interesting information. I also love how you added pictures to support your text and allow the reader to have a deeper understanding.
I find it interesting how the impressionist era significantly impacted the music tastes of people at the time. Reading that paragraph made me wonder if there are other aspects of society that were effected, resulting a change in people’s behaviour and preferences? This might add a more well-rounded view to that section of your research.
Here are some links that could help:
http://www.impressionism.org/finis.htm#:~:text=Later%20Influence%20of%20Impressionism,much%20further%20than%20they%20did.
https://www.theartstory.org/movement/impressionism/
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this blog post and I look forward to more of your research! Good luck:)
Hi sanam! I love how you organised your post! It is very well illustrated and you can see everything with their meanings and links with impressionism that was influenced in France. The paintings you picked are very beautiful and show the meaning of the word very well as well!
If you’d like, it could be interesting to also talk about the artist and how their art represented their beliefs, this can also help deepen the understanding of why the artist picked to paint such paintings!
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm