• Impressionism is a movement of art that

emerged in 1870s France. Rejecting the rigid

rules of the beaux-arts (“fine arts”),
• Impressionist artists showcased a new way to
observe and depict the world in their work,
foregoing realistic portrayals for fleeting
impressions of their surroundings—which,
often, were found outside.
• Originated in France in 1870’s
• Characterized by small brush strokes
• Reproduced artists’ visual “impression”
• a style or movement in painting originating in
France in the 1860s, characterized by a concern
with depicting the visual impression of the
moment, especially in terms of the shifting
effect of light and color.
• Claude Monet
• Edgar Degas
• Pierre Auguste Renoir
• Camille Pissarro
• Mary Cassatt
Throughout the 19th century, most French painters
produced work that adhered to the traditional tastes
of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, a Paris-based
organization that held annual salons. Showcasing a
selection of hand-picked artwork, the salons tended
to favor conventional subject matter—including
historical, mythological, and allegorical scenes—
rendered in a realistic style.
Tired by this age-old approach to creativity, a group
of artists decided to skip the salon hype and, instead,
host their own independent exhibitions. Known as
Société Anonyme Coopérative des Artistes Peintres,
Sculpteurs, Graveurs (“Cooperative and Anonymous
Association of Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers”),
this band of artists—which included Claude Monet,
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Camille
Pissarro—held their first exhibition in 1874.
The exhibition saw mixed reviewed from critics,
including journalist Louis Leroy. When analyzing
Impression, Sunrise, he infamously wrote:
“Impression—I was certain of it. I was just telling
myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be
some impression in it … and what freedom, what
ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic
state is more finished than that seascape.”
Though clearly intended as an insult, his review
actually helped the movement—it inadvertently (and
ironically) gave it its well-known name.
• Monet observed variations of color and light
caused by the daily or seasonal changes.
• He was the second son Claude Adolphe
Monet and Louise-Justine Aubree.
• He became known locally for this charcoal
caricatures, which he would sell for ten to
twenty francs.
• He meet fellow artist Eugéne Boudin who
became his mentor and taught him to use oil
paints. Boudin taught Monet "en plein air"
(outdoor) techniques for painting.
• Oscar-Claude Monet (1840-1926) is a famous
French painter and one of the founders of the
Impressionism movement along with his
friends Renoir, Sisley and Bazille.

• Monet rejected the traditional approach to

landscape painting and instead of copying old
masters he had been learning from his
friends and the nature itself.
• Monet’s 1872 painting, Impression, is widely
considered the first ever Impressionist
painting.

• Monet found that his garden inspired him to

paint pictures of it, particularly the water
lilies. Alice died in 1911, and his son Jean was
killed in World War I in 1914.
Impression, Sunrise, 1873 The Water Lily Pond, painted in his
garden at Giverny in 1899
Rouen Cathedral in morning Rouen Cathedral in radiant
sun sun
The Woman In A Green Dress Impression Sunrise
Water Lillies The Walk Woman With A Parasol
• Mary Stevenson Cassatt (May 22, 1844
- June 14, 1926) was an American
painter and printmaker.

• Cassatt (pronounced ca-SAHT) often

created images of the social and
private lives of women, with particular
emphasis on the intimate bonds
between mothers and children.
• Her painting Two Women Throwing
Flowers During Carnival was well
received in the Salon of 1872, and was
purchased.
• Mary Cassatt was one of the leading
artists in the Impressionist movement
of the later part of the 1800s.
• Her new work drew criticism for its
bright colors and unflattering accuracy
of its subjects. During this time, she
drew courage from painter Edgar
Degas, whose pastels inspired her to
press on in her own direction.
• "I used to go and flatten my nose
against that window and absorb all I
could of his art," she once wrote to a
friend. "It changed my life. I saw art
then as I wanted to see it.“
• Her admiration for Degas would soon
blossom into a strong friendship, and
Mary Cassatt exhibited 11 of her
paintings with the Impressionists in
1879.
• While many of her fellow
Impressionists were focused on
landscapes and street scenes, Mary
Cassatt became famous for her
portraits. She was especially drawn to
women in everyday domestic settings,
especially mothers with their children
Breakfast in Bed Child In A Straw Hat
The Sisters The Child’s Bath
Spring Margot Standing in a Summertime
Garden
• Degas rejected the “Impressionist” label
and preferred to be known as a “realist”
• He initially aspired to be a history
painter, but changed course in his early
thirties.
• He initially aspired to be a history
painter, but changed course in his early
thirties.
• Like many Impressionists, he was
influenced by Japanese art and collected
ukiyo-e prints.
• At the age of 36, Degas began
experiencing visual problems, which
worsened throughout his life.
• His painting A Cotton Office in New
Orleans (1873) was the first piece by an
Impressionist to be acquired by a
museum.
• Best known for his depictions of dancers,
Degas produced approximately 1,500
works—over half of his oeuvre—on the
subject
• He had a long friendship and
collaboration with the American
Impressionist painter Mary Cassatt.
Dancers in Blue Ballet Rehearsal
Dancers in Pink Seated Bather Drying Herself
Blue Dancers The Cotton Exchange in New
Orleans