Impressionist artists have created some of the most beautiful and moving pieces of art that are on display all over the world. These pieces are made with short and visible brush strokes and are based on the perception and feeling of a thing rather than its actual appearance. This offers a sense of motion to the pieces, as well as an overwhelming sense of emotion that is not present in some other forms of art.
There is a lot of romance associated with this kind of painting, and many of the pieces are also focused on outdoor subjects. The New Impressionist movement changed into the Post-Impression era, which has influenced modern art even to this day. The New Impressionist movement has had a lasting impact on the world of art, and these paintings are the best examples of this kind of work. When looking for a new impressionism art piece, check out these great examples below.
Most Famous New Impressionist Paintings
Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet
This beautiful piece is actually the foundational piece that coined the term of the art movement itself. The image that is captured in the picture is a hazy morning in the port of Le Havre, which was Claude Monet’s hometown. Monet is known as the leading painter in this movement and really as its creator. This is one of his most essential works, and this is a fine example of the first Impressionist works that would eventually set the art world on fire.
The painting dates to 1872, and it is currently on display in the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris. The beautiful structure of the work, along with its lovely sense of movement and the perfect way that the light is captured, makes this one of the best examples of this kind of art anywhere in the world.
Dance at Le Moulin De La Galette- Pierre Auguste Renoir
This painting was finished in 1876, and it is currently on display at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. This is one of the most popular paintings by this artist and is one of the more lively and colorful of the New Impressionist works that you can see displayed in a museum. This was a painting of working-class Parisians enjoying a Sunday afternoon, and the light and sense of movement in this piece are classically Impressionist in nature.
The work was actually privately owned from 1848-1894 before it came into possession of the French Republic after the death of owner Gustave Caillebotte. Caillebotte was a long-term patron of the Impressionist movement and its painters, and he took good care of this work before it was transferred to its current home at the Musee d’Orsay.
The Boulevard Montmartre at Night – Camille Pissarro
The Boulevard Montmartre at Night was finished in 1897, and it currently hangs in the National Gallery in London. There are fourteen other paintings of a similar style by Pissarro, and they depict major neighborhoods throughout Paris. The image in this scene is of the artistic quarter, which would have been a place where Pissarro spent a lot of time.
The different kinds of light and the colors of the sky throughout the seasons are represented in the series of paintings with great detail and incredible beauty. You can feel the warm glow of the gas lamps in this painting and get a really good impression of the sense of the street as the darkness falls each night. This is one of the quintessential works of this style, and lovers of Impressionist art should make time to see it if they are ever in Paris.
The Luncheon on the Grass- Edouard Manet
The Luncheon on the Grass is considered to be one of the most essential pieces of Impressionist art that have ever been created. Manet was a pivotal contributor to the Impressionist movement, and this work was created nearly a decade before some of Monet’s most memorable and notable works. The painting was originally named “Le Bain”, and it depicts a bathing scene in a park. The subject matter of the painting actually caused it to be rejected by the Paris Salon of 1863.
The nude woman in the foreground and the two men with her have created lots of comments throughout the years as far as the subject matter goes, but the colors and brushstroke work are spot-on for this style of painting. The painting became one of the most influential pieces of art ever made in the 19th century and is much beloved by those who love Impressionism.
View of the Canal Saint-Martin- Alfred Sisley
Another painting from the late 1800s, this work was completed in 1870. The painting hangs in the Musee d’Orsay, and it is one of the most famous works of Alfred Sisley. Sisley was English but was born in France and spent most of his life there. The image in the painting is the Canal Saint-martin which connects the Seine to the Canal de l’Ourcq. The beauty in this piece is not so much the scene as the sense of light and the reflection of the sky on the water in the canal.
The painting was sold in 1870 to art dealers after it was exhibited at the Paris Salon that year, and then the doctor of Vincent van Gogh bought the painting. The doctor’s son donated it to the Louvre in 1951, and then it was moved to the Musee d’Orsay.
Woman With a Parasol- Claude Monet
This painting from 1875 is one of the most memorable paintings done by Claude Monet. Said to depict Monet’s wife and son, this painting is of the fields near Argenteuil, where the family was living during the 1870s. This painting is a great way to get familiar with the lovely brushstrokes that are part of this art style and to enjoy the sense of movement that these paintings are associated with so closely.
The sense of movement that is displayed in this painting is very famous due to the blowing veil and dress of the subject and the movement of the waving grass in the foreground. This painting is also used as an excellent example of painting “en Plein air”.
Luncheon of the Boating Party- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A truly lovely depiction of middle-class life in the 1880s, this is one of Renoir’s most famous pieces of art. This painting was completed five years after the Dance at le Moulin de la Galette, but it features a similar kind of subject matter and the same really enjoyable sense of motion and color that the first painting of this style conveyed.
This piece is unique among many of these famous Impressionist works because it is privately owned, having been bought for $125,000 by Duncan Phillips in 1923. It still hands in the collection that was established, which includes all of the fine art that Phillips bought during his lifetime. This is a painting that is considered to be one of the finest examples of this style of art anywhere in the world.
When this work was displayed at the Seventh Impressionist Exhibition in 1882, it was voted to be the best by the three critics judging the show. As the Impressionist movement was still fairly new, this was a huge vote of confidence in the art that was associated with this painting style. This is considered one of the most important pieces of art that belong to the Impressionist movement for this reason.
The Harbour at Lorient- Berthe Morisot
Berthe Morisot is one of “Les Trois Grandes Dames”. These three women were the first to join the Impressionist group in Paris in the 1860s, and they continued to exert influence over this group for years into the future. The painting depicts the harbor in Lorient in the Brittany region of northwest France. This was a place where Morisot spent her summer holidays.
Morisot originally gifted this piece of art to Edouard Manet, but then it changed hands many times afterward until 1950 when it wound up in the United States. The piece is now displayed in the United States at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
This piece displays more focus on the accuracy of the subject matter, but the sense of color and movement is still quite clearly Impressionist. The time of day is perfectly captured here in this image, and you can tell exactly where the sun was in the sky and what season it was at the time that the painting was created.
Music in the Tuileries -Edouard Manet
Another piece by Manet, Music in the Tuileries is one of the most influential paintings done by the artist. The painting currently hangs in Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. The work has more in common with the style of Renoir, and this painting had a large influence on the style of Monet when he was first painting. The busy nature of the scene is one of the key characteristics of this part of the Impressionist art movement, and this aspect of the style of the work was likely deeply influential for artists that were to follow in Manet’s footsteps.
Music in the Tuileries shows Parisians enjoying the Tuileries Park, which was close to the Louvre. There were weekly concerts in the park during this period, and it is assumed that this is the action that is taking place in the scene despite the absence of musicians in the subject matter itself. The scene is both colorful and muted, showing shadow and sun, as well as movement and action. This is a very fine example of this painting style and one that should not be missed out on if you are in Ireland enjoying art museums.
The Ballet Class- Edgar Degas
This piece was actually commissioned by a French opera singer named Jean-Baptiste Faure. There were two versions of this painting that were made for Faure, and the finished one that currently hangs in the Musee d’Orsay is the chosen variant by the patron. Many of the Impressionist works were not commissioned, as the movement took a while to be recognized by art lovers.
The scene in the painting is of legendary ballet teacher Jules Perrot teaching a ballet class. Degas was friends with the ballet instructor himself, which was why he was allowed to visit the class and create this piece. The room that is shown in the painting was in the Paris Opera, which burned to the ground a year later.
Degas painted many other paintings that depicted dance in various forms, so this is in keeping with one of his favorite areas of subject matter. There are twenty-four women in the image, both ballerinas and their mothers, and the color and movement in the scene represent one of the most ambitious efforts of Degas’ career.
New Impressionism Has Influenced Art for Generations
Impressionism has had a major impact on so many different kinds of art over the years. This is one of the most beloved art movements that happened in the 1800s, and the influence that these works have had on modern art cannot be overstated. Impressionist works display beautiful colors, a lovely sense of movement, and interest in scenery that was not traditionally captured in paintings up to this point.
There are few movements in the art world that have created such a lasting impact on art as a whole. While the movement was small in the early years, it had a loyal following, and it was supported with great faith by the artists who believed in it and stood behind it. Being able to create beautiful works about everyday events and the lives of regular people was socially important as well. If you have never seen any of these impressionist paintings in person, you should make sure to try to find the time to do so. There are few art movements relevant to modern painting today, and you will love the experience of seeing these pieces in person.