Art Guide · Art movements
Impressionism
1860s – 1880s
Impressionism is the movement born in 1860s France that set out to capture the fleeting effect of light outdoors in quick brushstrokes. It took its name from Monet’s Impression, Sunrise (1872); Monet, Renoir, Degas and Manet are among its key figures.
Last updated: · Iconica Society editors
Characteristics
The Impressionists left the studio to work outdoors (en plein air). Rather than mixing colours on the palette, they laid short strokes side by side so the mixing happened in the viewer’s eye. They avoided black and saw even shadows in colour. Their subject was modern life: cafés, dances, railway stations, coasts and gardens.
A short history
A group of artists repeatedly rejected by the official Salon opened their own exhibition in Paris in 1874. A critic, mocking the title of Monet’s painting, called them “Impressionists”. The group held eight exhibitions up to 1886. Mocked at first, these paintings are now among the best-loved and most reproduced works in the world.
Key works
Shop Impressionism posters →Impression, SunriseClaude Monet, 1872 
The Water Lily PondClaude Monet, 1899 
Woman with a ParasolClaude Monet, 1875 
Poppy FieldClaude Monet, 1873 
Luncheon of the Boating PartyPierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881 
Bal du moulin de la GalettePierre-Auguste Renoir, 1876 
The Dance ClassEdgar Degas, 1874 
A Bar at the Folies-BergèreÉdouard Manet, 1882
Frequently asked questions
What are the characteristics of Impressionism?
Working outdoors, catching the fleeting effect of light, short visible brushstrokes, bright unmixed colours laid side by side and subjects from modern life.
Who was the pioneer of Impressionism?
Claude Monet; the movement is named after his Impression, Sunrise.