The world of art has had many changes over the years. What was once a popular style may be something that we do not see any longer in many pieces of art. It is meant to move us, make us think, and give us a new way to look at the world around us regularly. And with so many different forms of art to choose from, you are certain to find one that works for you.
One of the art forms that you can choose is known as impressionism. This is an interesting movement that took the art world by storm and created some amazing pieces that you are certain to love, no matter what your style or other forms of art you currently enjoy in your home.
This is a movement that was able to overturn the established order in the world of art towards the end of the 19th century. These painters proposed a new form of painting that was meant to break away from some of the more common academic and modern art paintings of the time. This made it revolutionary and a lot of fun for many art lovers around the world.
Before you run out and purchase a piece of impressionist art, it can be fun to know a bit more about the style and what sets it apart from all the rest. Some of the things that you should know about impressionism include:
Where Impressionism Art Started?
Impressionism was first created during the 19th century. The term was invented by one of the art critics of the time known as Louis Leroy. During that time, he wrote an article that recounted a visit of his to a studio in Paris where the first exhibition of impressionists was being held at that time.
The art critic wrote about how the painting impressed him, so therefore there must be some impression in it. The name founded by this critic would be imposed in time and is still being used by many today. It didn’t take long before this movement was able to find its painting master in the famous Claude Monet.
The Main Impressionist Painters
The impressionist movement was mainly one of the young artists when it first began. There were a lot of names that are more popular today, but they were mainly younger artists who were trying out something new and going against some of the academic painting styles that were so popular at the time.
Since the impressionist movement allowed for more expression and color compared to some of the other forms, it quickly took off by the storm, giving young painters an outlet for some of their creative minds as well. This is one of the big components that drew them to this style over some of the others.
What are the Characteristics of Impressionism Art?
You will find that there is a unique style that comes with impressionism that you are not able to find with some of the other forms of art that you could purchase for your home. This is what helps to make this style of art stand out from the crowd and be such a crowd pleaser throughout history.
The impressionism style is going to be characterized by small format paintings that have more open compositions and even some unusual angles of view. The idea is to get you to take a look at the painting through different eyes than you usually would, which can be a lot of fun.
The brushstrokes that will show up in these paintings are visible, which was unusual for the art world back at that time. The type of brushstrokes could vary based on the personal feelings of the painter at the time. There are often some atmospheric elements that are going to help show off light or even the weather within the painting.
Aesthetically, impressionist painters liked to go with landscapes, open air, and modernity in many of their paintings. You will find a lot of open spaces and landscapes from painters who were popular during this time.
We can also take a look at this sociologically. In this way, this was a movement led by artists who were more on the outside of the official Salon, which meant that they often opposed conventional painting. This occurred between 1874 to 1886, giving it a really good amount of time to grow and do well as well.
Impressionism Art Had a Lot of Support
This movement was unique because there was a lot of support for it, even though it was a smaller movement and was done by those who were more on the fringe of the art world. This was a movement supported by patrons and merchants at the time.
The existence, as well as the survival of the impressionist movement, were closely linked to the patrons that these artists were able to get. The Academy and the French state at the time had no desire to spend time looking at this kind of painting style because they considered it too avant-garde at the time.
Many art collectors ended up loving this style though. They would meet with the impressionist painters and make purchases, which enabled many of them to make a decent living off the work and they could continue with some of their paintings, even though they were not accepted in most art circles of the time.
When we look at some of the influential art dealers at the time, we will find two main people who helped out. Paul Durand-Ruel and Ambroise Volalrd. The former took a number of these painters under his wing and even helped to export some of the paintings to the United States, which helped the movement gain international fame and grow more than before.
New Impressionism Art Opened Up New Paths
There was a lot that went on when it came to the impressionist movement. It was finally quarreling over who could be a member of the group that broke them up in 1886. The majority of these painters then chose to concentrate on their careers and other movements came out, like neo-impressionism and post-impressionism as well.
These new art forms are growing in popularity as well, allowing the artist other methods that would help them to express their views and show off their talents. Many of these are still popular and in use today.
The Rise of Neo-Impressionism
Out of impressionism came a new movement that is known as neo-impressionism. The idea behind this kind of art movement was to help take scientific color theory and knowledge and create some of the best optical color mixtures. When done right, it helped the painting seem to pulsate and shimmer, giving life to an inanimate object at the same time.
These painters were going to use some small touches of complementary color right next to each other to help them create the desired effect. The point here was to reinforce each other against each other, making them both appear more luminous and vibrant than they would be able to do on their own.
To see what this was able to do, you can take a look at the Sunday Afternoon on the Island of la Grande Jatte by Seurat. The colors seem to shimmer and shine in this painting and it almost feels like you are there on the river. And it is because Seurat used some of the techniques that we are talking about above.
These artists would often use pure color to help them get the effects that they wanted, rather than working with any premixed colors that could ruin the results. And they would choose to apply the paint with a pointed brush stroke or even dots. If the latter was used on the painting, then it was often part of a different art movement known as pointillism.
The movement was popular with a lot of art dealers and patrons, but there were a few critics of the movement who did not like the style and thought it was a lazy painting and not as good as some of the other options. It is still a style that is around today, which helps to show how many people loved it.
Choosing Impressionism Art for Your Home
When picking out a new piece of art to add to your home, there are many great things to consider along the way. You have to consider where you will place the painting, how much it will cost, and what style and form you are the most interested in for your needs. And with so many options to choose from, it is sometimes hard to know which one is right for you.
When you want to go with a painting style that will get you noticed, one that turned the world of art upside down, then impressionism is one of the best options for you to choose from. Take a look at some of the facts above to help you learn everything you should know about new impressionism art.