Paintings by famous impressionist artists landscapes. Modern impressionism in painting

Impressionism is a movement in painting that originated in France in XIX-XX centuries, which is an artistic attempt to capture some moment of life in all its variability and mobility. Impressionist paintings are like a well-washed photograph, reviving in fantasy the continuation of the story seen. In this article we will look at the 10 most famous impressionists in the world. Fortunately, talented artists much more than ten, twenty or even a hundred, so let's focus on those names that you definitely need to know.

In order not to offend either the artists or their admirers, the list is given in Russian alphabetical order.

1. Alfred Sisley

This French painter English origin considered the most famous landscape painter second half of the 19th century century. His collection contains more than 900 paintings, of which the most famous are “Rural Alley”, “Frost in Louveciennes”, “Bridge in Argenteuil”, “Early Snow in Louveciennes”, “Lawns in Spring”, and many others.

2. Van Gogh

Known around the world sad story about his ear (by the way, he did not cut off his entire ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gon became popular only after his death. And during his life he was able to sell one single painting, 4 months before his death. They say he was both an entrepreneur and a priest, but often ended up in psychiatric hospitals due to depression, so all the rebellion of his existence resulted in legendary works.

3. Camille Pissarro

Pissarro was born on the island of St. Thomas, into a family of bourgeois Jews, and was one of the few impressionists whose parents encouraged his passion and soon sent him to Paris to study. Most of all, the artist liked nature, he depicted it in all colors, and to be more precise, Pissarro had a special talent for selecting the softness of colors, compatibility, after which air seemed to appear in the paintings.

4. Claude Monet

Since childhood, the boy decided that he would become an artist, despite family prohibitions. Having moved to Paris on his own, Claude Monet plunged into gray everyday life hard life: two years of service in the armed forces in Algeria, litigation with creditors due to poverty, illness. However, one gets the feeling that the difficulties did not oppress, but, on the contrary, inspired the artist to create such bright pictures, like “Impression, Sunrise”, “Houses of Parliament in London”, “Bridge to Europe”, “Autumn in Argenteuil”, “On the Shores of Trouville”, and many others.

5. Konstantin Korovin

It's nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, we can proudly place our compatriot, Konstantin Korovin. A passionate love for nature helped him intuitively give unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the combination of suitable colors, the width of strokes, and the choice of theme. It is impossible to pass by his paintings “Pier in Gurzuf”, “Fish, Wine and Fruit”, “ Autumn landscape», « Moonlight night. Winter" and a series of his works dedicated to Paris.

6. Paul Gauguin

Until the age of 26, Paul Gauguin did not even think about painting. He was an entrepreneur and had a large family. However, when I first saw the paintings of Camille Pissarro, I decided that I would definitely start painting. Over time, the artist’s style changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are “Garden in the Snow”, “At the Cliff”, “On the Beach in Dieppe”, “Nude”, “Palm Trees in Martinique” and others.

7. Paul Cezanne

Cezanne, unlike most of his colleagues, became famous during his lifetime. He managed to organize his own exhibition and earn considerable income from it. People knew a lot about his paintings - he, like no one else, learned to combine the play of light and shadow, placed a strong emphasis on regular and irregular geometric shapes, the severity of the theme of his paintings was in harmony with romance.

8. Pierre Auguste Renoir

Until the age of 20, Renoir worked as a fan decorator for his older brother, and only then moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the path of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of sentimental portraits, among his most outstanding works- “On the Terrace”, “Walk”, “Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary”, “The Lodge”, “Alfred Sisley and His Wife”, “On the Swing”, “Splash Pool” and many others.

9. Edgar Degas

If you haven't heard anything about " Blue dancers", "Ballet rehearsals", "Ballet school" and "Absinthe" - hurry up to learn about the work of Edgar Degas. The selection of original colors, unique themes for paintings, a sense of movement of the picture - all this and much more made Degas one of the most famous artists peace.

10. Edouard Manet

Don't confuse Manet with Monet - they are two different people who worked at the same time and in the same artistic direction. Manet was always attracted to scenes of everyday life, unusual appearances and types, as if accidentally “caught” moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among famous paintings Manet: “Olympia”, “Luncheon on the Grass”, “Bar at the Folies Bergere”, “The Flutist”, “Nana” and others.

If you have even the slightest opportunity to see the paintings of these masters live, you will forever fall in love with impressionism!

Alexandra Skripkina,

“The new world was born when the impressionists painted it”

Henri Kahnweiler

19th century. France. Something unprecedented happened in painting. A group of young artists decided to shake 500-year-old traditions. Instead of a clear drawing, they used a wide, “sloppy” stroke.

And they completely abandoned the usual images. Portraying everyone. And ladies of easy virtue, and gentlemen of dubious reputation.

The public was not ready for impressionist painting. They were ridiculed and scolded. And most importantly, they didn’t buy anything from them.

But the resistance was broken. And some of the impressionists lived to see their triumph. True, they were already over 40. Like Claude Monet or Auguste Renoir. Some waited for recognition only at the end of their lives, like Camille Pissarro. Some did not live to see him, like Alfred Sisley.

What revolutionary did each of them accomplish? Why did the public take so long to accept them? Here are the 7 most famous French impressionists. Which the whole world knows.

1. Edouard Manet (1832 – 1883)

Manet was older than most of the Impressionists. He was their main inspiration for change.

Manet himself did not claim to be the leader of the revolutionaries. He was a secular man. I dreamed of official awards.

But he waited a very long time for recognition. The public wanted to see the Greek goddesses. Or still lifes at worst. To look beautiful in the dining room. Manet wanted to write modern life. For example, courtesans.

The result was “Breakfast on the Grass.” Two dandies are relaxing in the company of ladies of easy virtue. One of them, as if nothing had happened, sits next to the dressed men.

Compare his Luncheon on the Grass with Thomas Couture's Romans in Decline. Couture's painting created a sensation. The artist instantly became famous.

“Breakfast on the Grass” was accused of vulgarity. Pregnant women were seriously not recommended to look at it.

In Couture's painting we see all the attributes of academicism ( traditional painting 16-19 centuries). Columns and statues. People of Apollonian appearance. Traditional muted colors. Manners of poses and gestures. A plot from the distant life of a completely different people.

“Breakfast on the Grass” by Manet is of a different format. Before him, no one had depicted courtesans so easily. Close to respectable citizens. Although many men of that time spent their leisure time this way. Real life real people.

Once I wrote to a respectable lady. Ugly. He couldn't flatter her with a brush. The lady was disappointed. She left him in tears.

So he continued to experiment. For example, with color. He did not try to depict the so-called natural color. If he saw gray-brown water as bright blue, then he depicted it as bright blue.

This, of course, irritated the audience. After all, even the Mediterranean Sea cannot boast of being as blue as Manet’s water, they quipped.

But the fact remains a fact. Manet radically changed the purpose of painting. The painting became the embodiment of the artist’s individuality. Who writes as he pleases. Forgetting about patterns and traditions.

All innovations did not forgive him for a long time. He received recognition only at the end of his life. When he no longer needed it. He was dying painfully from incurable disease.

2. Claude Monet (1840 – 1926)

Claude Monet can be called a Christian impressionist. Since he was faithful to this direction all his long life.

He painted not objects and people, but a single color construction of highlights and spots. Separate strokes. Air tremors.

Monet painted not only nature. He was also successful in city landscapes. One of the most famous - .

There is a lot of photography in this picture. For example, motion is conveyed through a blurred image.

Notice how the distant trees and figures seem to be in a haze.

Before us is a frozen moment in the bustling life of Paris. No staging. Nobody is posing. People are depicted as a collection of brush strokes. Such lack of plot and the “freeze-frame” effect are the main features of impressionism.

By the mid-80s, artists became disillusioned with impressionism. Aesthetics are, of course, good. But the lack of plot depressed many.

Only Monet continued to persist. Exaggerating impressionism. Which grew into a series of paintings.

He depicted the same landscape dozens of times. IN different time days. At different times of the year. To show how temperature and light can change the same species beyond recognition.

Thus, countless haystacks appeared.

Paintings by Claude Monet at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Left: Haystacks at sunset in Giverny, 1891. Right: Haystacks (snow effect), 1891.

Please note that the shadows in these paintings are colored. And not gray or black, as was customary before the Impressionists. This is another feature of theirs.

Monet managed to enjoy success and material well-being. After 40, he already forgot about poverty. He acquired a house and a beautiful garden. And he created for his own pleasure long years.

Read about the master’s most iconic painting in the article

3. Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919)

Impressionism is the most positive painting. And the most positive among the impressionists was Renoir.

You won't find drama in his paintings. Even black paint he didn't use it. Only the joy of being. Even the most banal things in Renoir look beautiful.

Unlike Monet, Renoir painted people more often. Landscapes were less important to him. In his paintings his friends and acquaintances are relaxing and enjoying life.

You won't find any profundity in Renoir. He was very happy to join the Impressionists. Who completely refused the plots.

As he himself said, he finally has the opportunity to write flowers and call them simply “Flowers.” And don’t invent any stories about them.

Renoir felt best in the company of women. He asked his maids to sing and joke. The stupider and more naive the song was, the better for him. And men's chatter tired him. It's no surprise that Renoir is famous for his nudes.

The model in the painting “Nude in sunlight” seems to appear against a colorful abstract background. Because for Renoir nothing is secondary. The model's eye or a section of the background are equivalent.

Renoir lived a long life. And I never put down my brush and palette. Even when his hands were completely shackled by rheumatism, he tied the brush to his hand with a rope. And he drew.

Like Monet, he waited for recognition after 40 years. And I saw my paintings in the Louvre, next to the works of famous masters.

Read about one of the most charming portraits of Renoir in the article

4. Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917)

Degas was not a classical impressionist. He did not like working plein air (open air). You won’t find a deliberately lightened palette with him.

On the contrary, he loved a clear line. He has plenty of black. And he worked exclusively in the studio.

But still he is always put in a row with other great impressionists. Because he was an impressionist of gesture.

Unexpected angles. Asymmetry in the arrangement of objects. Characters taken by surprise. All these are the main attributes of his paintings.

He stopped a moment of life, not allowing him to come to his senses. Just look at his “Opera Orchestra”.

In the foreground is the back of a chair. The musician's back is to us. And on background the ballerinas on stage did not fit into the “frame”. Their heads are mercilessly “cut off” by the edge of the picture.

That’s why his favorite dancers are not always depicted in beautiful poses. Sometimes they just do stretching.

But such improvisation is imaginary. Of course, Degas carefully thought through the composition. This is just a freeze frame effect, not a real freeze frame.

Edgar Degas loved to paint women. But illness or characteristics of the body did not allow him to have physical contact with them. He has never been married. No one had ever seen him with a woman.

Lack of real stories in it personal life added a subtle and intense eroticism to his images.

Please note that in the painting “Ballet Star” only the ballerina herself is depicted. Her colleagues behind the scenes are barely visible. Just a few legs.

This does not mean that Degas did not complete the painting. This is the reception. Keep only the most important things in focus. Make the rest disappear, illegible.

Read about other paintings by the master in the article

5. Berthe Morisot (1841 – 1895)

Berthe Morisot is rarely placed in the first row with the great Impressionists. I'm sure it's not deserved. It is in her work that you will find all the main features and techniques of impressionism. And if you like impressionism, you will love her work with all your heart.

Morisot worked quickly and impetuously. Transferring your impression to canvas. The figures seem to be about to dissolve into space.

Like Degas, she often left some details unfinished. And even parts of the model's body. We cannot distinguish the hands of the girl in the painting “Summer”.

Morisot's path to self-expression was difficult. Not only did she engage in “careless” painting. She was still a woman. In those days, a woman was supposed to dream of getting married. After which any hobbies were forgotten.

Therefore, Bertha refused marriage for a long time. Until she found a man who respected her occupation. Eugene Manet was the brother of the artist Edouard Manet. He dutifully yearned for his wife's easel and paints.

But still it was in the 19th century. No, I didn’t wear Morisot trousers. But she could not afford complete freedom of movement.

She couldn't go to the park to work alone. Unaccompanied by someone close to you. I couldn’t sit alone in a cafe. Therefore, her paintings are people from family circle. Husband, daughter, relatives.

Morisot did not wait for recognition. She died at the age of 54 from pneumonia. Without selling almost any of his work during his lifetime. On her death certificate, there was a dash in the “occupation” column. It was unthinkable for a woman to be called an artist. Even if she actually was.

Read about the master’s paintings in the article

6. Camille Pissarro (1830 – 1903)

Camille Pissarro. Non-conflict, reasonable. Many perceived him as a teacher. Even the most temperamental colleagues did not speak badly of Pissarro.

He was a faithful follower of impressionism. In great need, with five children and a wife, he still worked hard in the same style. And I never switched to salon painting. To become more popular. It is not known where he got the strength to fully believe in himself.

In order not to die of hunger at all, Pissarro painted fans. Which were eagerly bought up. But real recognition came to him after 60 years! When he was finally able to forget about his need.

The air in Pissarro's paintings is thick and dense. An extraordinary fusion of color and volume.

The artist was not afraid to paint the most changeable natural phenomena. Which will appear for a moment and disappear. First snow, frosty sun, long shadows.

His most famous works are views of Paris. With wide boulevards, a bustling and colorful crowd. At night, during the day, in different weather. In some ways echoing the series of paintings by Claude Monet.

European art of the late 19th century was enriched by the emergence of modernism. Its influence later spread to music and literature. It was called “impressionism” because it was based on the artist’s subtlest impressions, images and moods.

Origins and history

Several young artists formed a group in the second half of the 19th century. They had a common goal and the same interests. The main thing for this company was to work in nature, without workshop walls and various limiting factors. In their paintings they sought to convey all the sensuality, the impression of the play of light and shadow. Landscapes and portraits reflected the unity of the soul with the Universe, with the surrounding world. Their paintings are true poetry of colors.

In 1874, an exhibition of this group of artists was held. Landscape by Claude Monet “Impression. Sunrise” caught the eye of the critic, who in his review for the first time called these creators impressionists (from the French impression - “impression”).

The prerequisites for the birth of the style of impressionism, the paintings of whose representatives would soon become incredible success, steel works of the Renaissance. The work of the Spaniards Velazquez, El Greco, the English Turner, Constable unconditionally influenced the French, who were the founders of impressionism.

Prominent representatives of the style in France were Pissarro, Manet, Degas, Sisley, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir and others.

Philosophy of impressionism in painting

The artists who painted in this style did not set themselves the task of attracting public attention to troubles. In their works one cannot find subjects on the topic of the day; one cannot receive a moral lesson or notice human contradictions.

Paintings in the impressionist style are aimed at conveying a momentary mood and developing color schemes mysterious nature. There is only room for a positive beginning in the works; gloominess avoided the impressionists.

In fact, the impressionists did not bother themselves with thinking through the plot and details. The most important factor was not what to draw, but how to depict and convey your mood.

Painting technique

The difference between the academic style of drawing and the technique of the impressionists is colossal. They simply abandoned many methods, and changed some beyond recognition. Here are the innovations they introduced:

1. We abandoned the circuit. It was replaced with strokes - small and contrasting.
2. We stopped using palettes for colors that complement each other and do not require merging to achieve a certain effect. For example, yellow is purple.
3. Stopped painting in black.
4. They completely abandoned work in workshops. They painted exclusively on location, to make it easier to capture a moment, an image, a feeling.
5. Only paints with good covering power were used.
6. We didn’t wait for the new layer to dry. Fresh strokes were applied immediately.
7. They created cycles of works to follow changes in light and shadow. For example, “Haystacks” by Claude Monet.

Of course, not all artists followed the exact features of the Impressionist style. Paintings by Édouard Manet, for example, never participated in joint exhibitions, and he positioned himself as a separate standing artist. Edgar Degas worked only in workshops, but this did not harm the quality of his works.

Representatives of French Impressionism

The first exhibition of Impressionist works dates back to 1874. 12 years later, their last exhibition took place. The first work in this style can be called “Lunch on the Grass” by E. Manet. This painting was presented in the "Salon of the Rejected". It was met with hostility because it was very different from the academic canons. That is why Manet becomes a figure around whom a circle of followers of this stylistic movement gathers.

Unfortunately, contemporaries did not appreciate such a style as impressionism. Paintings and artists existed in disagreement with official art.

Gradually, Claude Monet came to the fore in the group of painters, who would later become their leader and the main ideologist of impressionism.

Claude Monet (1840—1926)

The work of this artist can be described as a hymn to impressionism. It was he who was the first to abandon the use of black in his paintings, citing the fact that even shadows and night have different tones.

The world in Monet’s paintings is unclear outlines, spacious strokes, looking at which you can feel the whole spectrum of the play of colors of day and night, seasons, and the harmony of the sublunary world. Just a moment that was snatched from the flow of life, in Monet’s understanding, is impressionism. His paintings seem to have no materiality; they are all saturated with rays of light and air currents.

Claude Monet created amazing works: “Gare Saint-Lazare”, “Rouen Cathedral”, the “Charing Cross Bridge” series and many others.

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Renoir's creations create the impression of extraordinary lightness, airiness, and ethereality. The plot was born as if by chance, but it is known that the artist carefully thought through all stages of his work and worked from morning to night.

A distinctive feature of O. Renoir's work is the use of glaze, which is only possible when painting. Impressionism in the artist's works is manifested in every stroke. He perceives a person as a particle of nature itself, which is why there are so many paintings with nudes.

Renoir's favorite pastime was depicting a woman in all her attractive and attractive beauty. Portraits occupy a special place in creative life artist. “Umbrellas”, “Girl with a Fan”, “Breakfast of the Rowers” ​​are only a small part of the amazing collection of paintings by Auguste Renoir.

Georges Seurat (1859-1891)

Seurat associated the process of creating paintings with scientific basis color theory. The light-air environment was drawn based on the dependence of the main and additional tones.

Despite the fact that J. Seurat is a representative of the final stage of impressionism, and his technique is in many ways different from the founders, he, in the same way, creates with the help of strokes an illusory representation of an object form, which can be viewed and seen only from a distance.

The paintings “Sunday Afternoon”, “Cancan”, “Models” can be called masterpieces of creativity.

Representatives of Russian impressionism

Russian impressionism arose almost spontaneously, mixing many phenomena and methods. However, the basis, like the French, was a natural vision of the process.

In Russian impressionism, although the features of the French were preserved, the peculiarities of national nature and state of mind made significant changes. For example, visions of snow or northern landscapes were expressed using unusual techniques.

In Russia, few artists worked in the impressionist style; their paintings still attract attention to this day.

The impressionistic period can be distinguished in the work of Valentin Serov. His "Girl with Peaches" - the clearest example and the standard of this style in Russia.

The paintings captivate with their freshness and harmony of pure colors. The main topic The work of this artist is the image of a person in nature. “Northern Idyll”, “In a Boat”, “Fedor Chaliapin” are bright milestones in K. Korovin’s work.

Impressionism in modern times

Currently, this direction in art has received new life. IN this style several artists paint their own paintings. Modern impressionism exists in Russia (Andre Cohn), in France (Laurent Parselier), in America (Diana Leonard).

Andre Cohn is the most prominent representative of the new impressionism. His oil paintings are striking in their simplicity. The artist sees beauty in everyday things. The creator interprets many objects through the prism of movement.

The whole world knows Laurent Parselier's watercolor works. His series of works Strange world"was released in the form of postcards. Magnificent, vibrant and sensual, they will take your breath away.

As in the 19th century, in currently artists remain plein air painting. Thanks to her, impressionism will live forever. artists continue to be inspired, impressed and encouraged.

It is believed that art has no boundaries. Nevertheless, people decided to divide the works of artists into genres, which can be quite easy to get confused, because the boundaries of styles are arbitrary. Today we will talk about one of the main trends in painting - impressionism.

The emergence of impressionism

Impressionism as an art genre originated in France in the 1870s. The origin of this style was the creation of the painting by C. Monet “Impression. Sunrise” (1872). One journalist called the artist an impressionist, but with a negative meaning. But this was soon forgotten, and the picture gave birth to a new genre.

In 1874, impressionist artists held their first separate exhibition. The paintings exhibited there were criticized for their lack of meaning, looseness and poor depiction. However, the artists did not stop and continued to organize such events, declaring their art.

Impressionism was a purely French phenomenon. Artists from other countries were able to adopt some features, but not to the fullest extent.

It was the impressionists who were the first to move away from generally accepted standards and templates of academic writing, thereby giving a huge impetus to the development artistic arts. They deeply researched colors and new writing techniques, which ultimately led us to the diversity we have today.

It should be noted that impressionism had a serious influence and inspired with its novelty representatives of other fields of art: sculpture, music and literature.

What do impressionist paintings tell us?

Impressionism focuses on the image and the impression it gives to the viewer. Impressionist paintings most often depict ordinary scenes from life: city ​​bustle or landscapes. Their works give viewers those fleeting impressions that the painters themselves experienced. Impressionism does not notice problems or negativity, it shows exclusively positive sides life.

Mostly in the paintings you can see such scenes as picnics, boating, dancing, tea parties, outdoor fun and other joys of life. Impressionists most often depicted people in paintings not frozen, but moving, playing, laughing. The paintings allow us to plunge into the living reality of past centuries, to see what kind of environment surrounded people XIX century.

Features of impressionist paintings

The talent of reflecting an instant first impression on a canvas is main feature all artists. They always created from life, without any sketches, capturing and conveying general mood. Impressionist paintings do not carry deep meaning or hidden content, they depict everyday life, but they do it not simply, but masterfully. When looking at such paintings, the viewer immediately has a certain thought or emotion that remains for some time after viewing.

The impressionists developed a special style of writing. The paintings they painted are most often distinguished by fuzzy lines and individual strokes. The fact is that they conveyed all the colors standard set colors, skillfully placing strokes. In their works they paid great attention to the play of light and shadows, trying to create contrast. Indicative in this regard is the painting by O. Renoir “The Ball at the Moulin de la Galette” (1876).

Great Impressionists of the Past

Since the creation of the movement, there have been many artists who have worked in the style of impressionism, but very few can be called truly great. Thus, the most famous impressionist artists are C. Monet, O. Renoir, A. Sisley and C. Pissarro. In general, impressionism as a movement was especially popular in late XIX centuries, it was then that true masters created.

This served as a beginning, an inspiration for others no less famous artists- W. van Gogh, P. Cezanne, P. Gauguin. These artists became the founders of post-impressionism, which made its goal the rejection of image real life, transition to the image of its basics.

Modern Impressionists

Do not think that the direction ceased to exist after its heyday. There are still artists who choose impressionism for their work.

Paintings modern impressionists cause no less admiration than the paintings of the past. Today, many masters create in this genre, but time will tell which of them is most worthy of this title. However, there are several artists whose paintings are positioned as impressionist paintings. Photos of their work are presented below.

Take, for example, an artist named Kent R. Wallis. His canvases are distinguished by bright, rich colors, with which he creates magnificent landscapes.

Also fascinating are the paintings of the artist I.J. Paprocki (E.J. Paprocki).

In his paintings, flowers, leaves and other small elements are done very realistically, while the rest of the background is done with brush strokes. This allows him to convey the beauty of detail and at the same time the general first impressions characteristic of impressionism.

Impressionism is a movement mainly in French painting, characterized by the desire to convey fleeting impressions, richness of colors, psychological nuances, mobility and variability of the atmosphere of the surrounding world through the means of art.

Bold strokes, bright colors, everyday scenes of life, candid poses and, most importantly, exact description light... Only a small fraction of the characteristics of one of the most popular artistic directions. in France in mid-19th

century. Before its emergence, authors usually created still lifes, portraits and even landscapes in their studios. For the first time in the history of art, artists made it a rule for themselves to paint not from the studio, but under open air : on the river bank, in a field, in a forest. Trying to express their direct impressions of things as accurately as possible, the impressionists created new method

PARKETERS, GUSTAVE CAIBOTT

One of the first paintings depicting the urban working class. Caillebotte illustrates the abiding interest in Everyday life. Notice how accurately the artist captured the light coming through the window and the shadows. The painting is as realistic as a photograph, but was nevertheless rejected by the most prestigious art exhibitions and salons: the depiction of half-naked working-class men was considered a “vulgar subject.”