Impressionism

Intro

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLwVtb8kDo

Background

• Officially first collective exhibition in 1874: not in the Salon….on their own

• Founding artists who exhibited: Monet, Manet, Morisot, Bazille, and Renoir are just a sample

• Manet was huge influence…other artists gathered around him

• Called themselves the “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc”

• Works not given credit by salon and critics of the day• Term Impressionism coined by Louis Leroy, the art

critic, who accused Monet of not finishing or just sketching in his painting entitled Impression, Sunrise

Characteristics of Movement

• Light, Light and more Light!!!! Color affected by changing light conditions: time of day and season

• Built upon concepts of Realism: portraying the everyday• Use of visible and often broken brushstrokes• Initially, pure colors placed next to each other…no

mixing on palette• Invention of synthetic colors allowed for a brighter

intensity of color palette…almost shocking• Invention of tubes for containing paint allowed for easier

outdoor works

Claude Monet

• Born Nov 14, 1840: Paris• Died Dec 5, 1926: Giverny• Studied as painter• Influenced heavily by Manet• Artistic circle of friends included: Bazille, Renoir,

Courbet, Cassatt, etc• Troubled times: at one point depression drove

him to attempt suicide• Married twice, 2 children• Both wives and one child died prior to Monet’s

death

• http://www.intermonet.com/biograph/autobigb.htm

Works

• Rouen Cathedrals: http://www.intermonet.com/oeuvre/rouen.htm

• Poplars: http://www.intermonet.com/oeuvre/peuplier.htm

• Waterlilies: http://www.intermonet.com/oeuvre/nymphea1.htm

Mary Cassatt• 1844-1926• Born in Pennsylvania• Parents well to do (banking)• Believed education included world travel• First lessons in art were in Europe• Attended the world’s fair in Paris in 1855, where she most likely viewed the

works of Degas and Pisarro: future Impressionists and colleagues• Studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philly at age 15• Patronizing and male dominated education that would not permit drawing

nudes from life (plaster casts)• 1866 Left school and finally obtained approval from family to pursue

profession in art and traveled to Paris with chaperones• 1868, first painting accepted by Paris salon: Romantic style• Dozen years of struggle with no support from father for artistic pursuits• "I have given up my studio & torn up my father's portrait, & have not touched

a brush for six weeks nor ever will again until I see some prospect of getting back to Europe. I am very anxious to go out west next fall & get some employment, but I have not yet decided where."

• 1871: Return to Paris: Success! Exhibited at Salon and sold work• "O how wild I am to get to work, my fingers farely itch & my eyes water to

see a fine picture again"

• Down again….frustrated by politics and genre painting supported by salon• 1877 Invited to exhibit with Impressionists• Henry Bacon, a friend of the Cassatts, thought that the Impressionists were

so radical that they were "afflicted with some hitherto unknown disease of the eye".

• Degas befriended and influenced Cassatt: proficient in pastels• Successive years saw critical acheivement• Purchased Degas and Monet• Broke with impressionists in 1886, created prints and developed a more

straightforward style influenced by Japonism: style had blocks of color and clear design

• Most known for her works with theme of mother and child• Continued to create with bouts of self doubt, esp after trip to Egypt• Became blind• 1914: Worked on Women’s suffrege and exhibited 18 works toward that end• France awarded her the Legion d'honneur in 1904.

Self Portrait

Mother And Child XI

Title unknown

Mother And Child

2

The Childs Bath

The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai

Critique: Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida Barcas en la Arena

Edouard Manet• Born 23 Jan 1832 France• Died 30 Apr 1883 France• Considered father of Impressionism• Wealthy family• Tried naval aspirations but failed and studied art with Couture and

opened own studio• Salon would not accept his works and he turned to Impressionist

circle • Work considered controversial due to realist nature that shocked

society• Eventually joined army during Prussian conflict, evacuated his

family and stopped painting • Grew ill and eventually died with no more art production!

Characteristics of work

• Used thick lines and dark colors favored by Couture

• However, discarded use of Glazing techniques in favor of alla prima style: each brushstroke of color meant to be seen

• Would create depth of color by contrasting colors

• Influenced by development of photography and esp Nadar

• Influenced by Valezquez and darker undertones

The Funeral

Boating, 1874

Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883)

Oil on canvas;

The Café Concert

Resources

• http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm

• http://giverny.org/monet/biograph/

• http://www.marycassatt.org/biography.html

• http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/impressionism.html

• http://www.artble.com/artists/edouard_manet