Step by Step
1
Origins and the name
Impressionism held its first independent exhibition in 1874, after being rejected by the official Paris Salon. The movement's name actually originated as a critic's insult, derived from Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise.
2
Defining characteristics
Short, broken brushstrokes; pure color applied without mixing on the palette (relying instead on optical mixing, where the viewer's eye blends the colors); outdoor painting (en plein air); and ordinary modern subjects like cafés, dance halls, rivers, and gardens.
3
Key artists
Monet is known for serial paintings and his water lily series. Renoir painted soft figures in social gatherings, as in Le Moulin de la Galette. Degas depicted ballet dancers and racehorses, using unusual compositions influenced by photography and Japanese prints. Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt were major female Impressionist artists.
4
Photography's influence
The emerging medium of photography influenced Impressionist composition, encouraging snapshot-like framing and a focus on capturing ordinary, fleeting moments rather than carefully staged historical scenes.
Applied Walkthrough
1
After being rejected by the official Paris Salon, a group of artists held their own independent exhibition in 1874 — a critic mockingly dubbed the movement "Impressionism," borrowing the term directly from Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise.
2
These artists shared a distinctive approach: short, broken brushstrokes of pure, unmixed color, relying on the viewer's own eye to blend the colors optically, combined with painting outdoors (en plein air) to capture fleeting effects of natural light.
3
Monet's serial paintings (repeatedly depicting the same subject under different lighting conditions) and Degas's unusually framed ballet and racehorse scenes — influenced by both photography and Japanese prints — both exemplify this new way of seeing.
4
Alongside these more famous male Impressionists, Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt made major contributions to the movement, all working within this same revolutionary approach to capturing ordinary modern life and fleeting light effects.
Exam Application
Exams test whether you know the origin of the Impressionist name, whether you can identify the movement's defining technical characteristics (broken brushstrokes, optical mixing, en plein air), and whether you can match key artists to their signature subjects and approaches.
⚠ Common Trap
The most common trap is assuming "Impressionism" was a name the artists chose for themselves — it actually originated as a critical insult, mocking the seemingly unfinished, sketch-like quality of Monet's Impression, Sunrise, before being embraced by the movement itself.
✓ Quick Self-Check
1. Where did the name "Impressionism" come from?
A critic's insult, derived from Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise.
Tap to reveal / hide
2. What does "optical mixing" refer to in Impressionist technique?
Applying pure, unmixed color to the canvas and relying on the viewer's own eye to blend the colors.
Tap to reveal / hide
3. What does "en plein air" mean, and why was it significant for Impressionism?
Painting outdoors; significant for capturing fleeting effects of natural light directly from observation.
Tap to reveal / hide
4. What subjects is Degas known for depicting, and what influenced his compositions?
Ballet dancers and racehorses; influenced by photography and Japanese prints.
Tap to reveal / hide
5. Name two major female Impressionist artists.
Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.
Tap to reveal / hide