For me, the impressionism style is, first of all, something airy, ephemeral, inexorably elusive. This is that stunning moment that the eye barely has time to capture and which then remains in the memory for a long time as a moment of highest harmony. The masters of impressionism were famous for their ability to easily transfer this moment of beauty onto canvas, endowing it with tangible sensations and subtle vibrations that, with all reality, arise when interacting with a painting. When you look at the work outstanding artists This style always leaves a certain aftertaste of mood.
Impressionism(from impression - impression) is an art movement that originated in France in the late 1860s. Its representatives sought to capture the most natural and unbiased real world in its mobility and variability, to convey your fleeting impressions. Special attention paid attention to the transmission of color and light. 
The word "impressionism" comes from the title of Monet's painting Impression. Sunrise, presented at the 1874 exhibition. The little-known journalist Louis Leroy in his magazine article called the artists “impressionists” to express his disdain. However, the name stuck and lost its original negative meaning. 
The first important exhibition of the Impressionists took place from April 15 to May 15, 1874 in the studio of the photographer Nadar. 30 artists were presented there, with a total of 165 works. Young artists were reproached for “unfinished” and “sloppy painting,” lack of taste and meaning in their work, “an attack on true art,” rebellious sentiments and even immorality. 
Leading representatives of impressionism are Alfred Sisley and Frederic Bazille. Edouard Manet and Eduard Manet exhibited their paintings with them. Joaquin Sorolla is also considered an impressionist. 
Landscapes and scenes from city life are perhaps the most characteristic genres impressionistic painting - painted “in the open air”, i.e. directly from nature, and not on the basis of sketches and preparatory sketches. Impressionists looked closely at nature, noticing colors and shades usually invisible, such as blue in the shadows. 
Their artistic method consisted of decomposing complex tones into their constituent pure colors of the spectrum. The results were colored shadows and pure, light, vibrant painting. The Impressionists applied paint in separate strokes, sometimes using contrasting tones in one area of the painting. The main feature of impressionist paintings is the effect of living flickering of colors. 
To convey changes in the color of an object, the impressionists began to prefer to use colors that mutually reinforce each other: red and green, yellow and purple, orange and blue. These same colors create the effect of consistent contrast. For example, if we look at red for a while and then move our gaze to white, it will appear greenish to us. 
Impressionism did not raise philosophical problems and did not even try to penetrate under the colored surface of everyday life. Instead, artists focus on superficiality, the fluidity of a moment, mood, lighting or angle of view. Their paintings presented only the positive aspects of life, without touching on the acute ones. social problems.
Artists often painted people in motion, while having fun or relaxing. Subjects of flirting, dancing, being in a cafe and theater, boating, on beaches and in gardens were taken. Judging by the paintings of the Impressionists, life is a continuous series of small holidays, parties, pleasant pastimes outside the city or in a friendly environment. 
Impressionism left a rich legacy in painting. First of all, this is an interest in color problems and non-standard techniques. Impressionism expressed the desire for renewal artistic language and a break with tradition, as a protest against the painstaking technique of the masters of the classical school. Well, you and I can now admire these magnificent works outstanding artists. 
One of largest currents in art last decades The nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth is impressionism, which spread throughout the world from France. Its representatives were engaged in the development of such methods and techniques of painting that would make it possible to most vividly and naturally reflect the real world in dynamics, to convey fleeting impressions of it.
Many artists created their canvases in the style of impressionism, but the founders of the movement were Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, Frederic Basil, Camille Pissarro. It is impossible to name their best works, since they are all beautiful, but there are the most famous ones, and they will be discussed further.
Claude Monet: “Impression. Rising Sun"
The canvas with which you should start a conversation about the best paintings of the Impressionists. Claude Monet painted it in 1872 from life in the old port of Le Havre, France. Two years later, the painting was first shown to the public in the former studio of the French artist and caricaturist Nadar. This exhibition became fateful for the art world. Impressed (not at all) in the best sense) work by Monet, whose title is on original language sounds like “Impression, soleil levant,” journalist Louis Leroy first coined the term “impressionism,” denoting a new direction in painting.
The painting was stolen in 1985 along with works by O. Renoir and B. Morisot. It was discovered five years later. Currently “Impression. Rising Sun"belongs to the Marmottan-Monet Museum in Paris.
Edouard Monet: "Olympia"
Painting "Olympia" created by French impressionist Edouard Manet in 1863, is one of the masterpieces of modern painting. It was first presented at the Paris Salon in 1865. Impressionist artists and their paintings often found themselves in the center high-profile scandals. However, Olympia caused the largest of them in the history of art.
On the canvas we see a naked woman, her face and body facing the audience. The second character is a dark-skinned maid holding a luxurious bouquet wrapped in paper. At the foot of the bed there is a black kitten in a characteristic pose with an arched back. Not much is known about the history of the painting; only two sketches have reached us. The model was most likely Manet's favorite model, Quiz Meunard. There is an opinion that the artist used the image of Marguerite Bellanger, Napoleon's mistress.
During the period of creativity when Olympia was created, Manet was fascinated Japanese art, and therefore deliberately refused to work out the nuances of dark and light. Because of this, his contemporaries did not see the volume of the depicted figure and considered it flat and rough. The artist was accused of immorality and vulgarity. Never before have Impressionist paintings caused such excitement and mockery from the crowd. The administration was forced to place guards around her. Degas compared Manet's fame gained through Olympia and the courage with which he accepted criticism with the life story of Garibaldi.
For almost a quarter of a century after the exhibition, the canvas was kept out of reach of prying eyes by the artist’s studio. Then it was exhibited again in Paris in 1889. It was almost bought, but the artist’s friends collected the required amount and bought “Olympia” from Manet’s widow, and then donated it to the state. Now the painting belongs to the Orsay Museum in Paris.
Auguste Renoir: "Great Bathers"
The picture is painted French artist in 1884-1887 Taking everything into account now famous paintings impressionists between 1863 and the beginning of the twentieth century, "Great Bathers" is called the most large-scale canvas with naked female figures. Renoir worked on it for more than three years, and during this period many sketches and sketches were created. There was no other painting in his work that he devoted so much time to.
In the foreground, the viewer sees three naked women, two of whom are on the shore, and the third is standing in the water. The figures are painted very realistically and clearly, which is a characteristic feature of the artist’s style. Renoir's models were Alina Sharigo (his future wife) and Suzanne Valadon, who in the future became a famous artist herself.
Edgar Degas: "Blue Dancers"
Not all famous Impressionist paintings listed in the article were painted in oil on canvas. The photo above allows you to understand what the painting “Blue Dancers” represents. It was made in pastel on a sheet of paper measuring 65x65 cm and belongs to the late period of the artist’s work (1897). He painted it with already impaired vision, so paramount importance is attached to decorative organization: the image is perceived as large spots of color, especially when viewed close up. The theme of dancers was close to Degas. It was repeated many times in his work. Many critics believe that due to the harmony of color and composition “ Blue dancers" it could be considered best job artist on this topic. Currently, the painting is kept in the Museum of Art. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.
Frédéric Bazille: "Pink Dress"
One of the founders French impressionism Frédéric Bazille was born into a bourgeois family of a wealthy winemaker. While still studying at the Lyceum, he began to become interested in painting. Having moved to Paris, he made acquaintance with C. Monet and O. Renoir. Unfortunately, the artist was destined for a short life path. He died at the age of 28 at the front during the Franco-Prussian War. However, his paintings, albeit few in number, are rightfully included in the list of “ Best pictures Impressionists." One of them is “Pink Dress,” painted in 1864. By all indications, the canvas can be attributed to early impressionism: color contrasts, attention to color, sunlight and a frozen moment, the very thing that was called “impression.” One of the artist’s cousins, Teresa de Hors, acted as a model. The painting currently belongs to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Camille Pissarro: “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny"
Camille Pissarro became famous thanks to his landscapes, characteristic feature which is the drawing of light and illuminated objects. His works have had noticeable influence to the genre of impressionism. The artist independently developed many of his inherent principles, which formed the basis for his future creativity.
Pissarro loved to write the same passage in different time days. He has a whole series of canvases with Parisian boulevards and streets. The most famous of them is “Boulevard Montmartre” (1897). It reflects all the charm that the artist sees in the seething and restless life of this corner of Paris. Viewing the boulevard from the same place, he shows it to the viewer on a sunny and cloudy day, in the morning, afternoon and late evening. The photo below shows the painting “Montmartre Boulevard at Night”.
This style was subsequently adopted by many artists. We will only mention which Impressionist paintings were written under the influence of Pissarro. This trend is clearly visible in Monet’s work (the “Haystacks” series of paintings).
Alfred Sisley: "Lawns in Spring"
“Lawns in Spring” is one of the most late paintings landscape painter Alfred Sisley, painted in 1880-1881. In it, the viewer sees a forest path along the banks of the Seine with a village on the opposite bank. In the foreground is a girl - the artist's daughter Jeanne Sisley.
The artist’s landscapes convey the authentic atmosphere of the historical region of Ile-de-France and retain a special softness and transparency natural phenomena, characteristic of specific times of the year. The artist was never a supporter of unusual effects and adhered to a simple composition and a limited palette of colors. The painting is now kept in the National Gallery in London.
We have listed the most famous Impressionist paintings (with names and descriptions). These are masterpieces of world painting. Originated in France unique style painting was initially perceived with mockery and irony; critics emphasized the outright negligence of artists in painting canvases. Now hardly anyone would dare to challenge their genius. Impressionist paintings are exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world and are a desirable exhibit for any private collection.
The style has not sunk into oblivion and has many followers. Our compatriot Andrei Kokh, French painter Laurent Parselier, Americans Diana Leonard and Karen Tarleton are famous modern impressionists. Their paintings were made in best traditions genre, filled with bright colors, bold strokes and life. In the photo above is the work of Laurent Parselier “In the Rays of the Sun”.
Today, impressionism is perceived as a classic, but in the era of its formation it was a real revolutionary breakthrough in art. Innovation and ideas in this direction have completely changed artistic perception art of the 19th and 20th centuries. A modern impressionism in painting he inherits principles that have already become canonical and continues aesthetic searches in the transmission of sensations, emotions and light.
Prerequisites
There are several reasons for the emergence of impressionism; this is a whole complex of prerequisites that led to a real revolution in art. In the 19th century French painting a crisis was brewing; it was due to the fact that “official” criticism did not want to notice and allow various emerging new forms into the galleries. Therefore, painting in impressionism became a kind of protest against the inertia and conservatism of generally accepted norms. Also, the origins of this movement should be sought in the trends inherent in the Renaissance and associated with attempts to convey living reality. The artists of the Venetian school are considered the first progenitors of impressionism, then the Spaniards took this path: El Greco, Goya, Velazquez, who directly influenced Manet and Renoir. He also played a role in the formation of this school. technical progress. Thus, the appearance of photography gave rise to new idea in art it’s about capturing momentary emotions and sensations. It is this instantaneous impression that the artists of the movement we are considering strive to “capture.” The development of the plein air school, which was founded by representatives of the Barbizon school, also had an influence on this trend.
History of impressionism
In the second half of the 19th century in French art a critical situation is developing. Representatives of the classical school do not accept the innovation of young artists and do not allow them to attend the Salon - the only exhibition that opens the way to customers. A scandal broke out when the young Edouard Manet presented his work “Luncheon on the Grass.” The painting aroused the indignation of critics and the public, and the artist was forbidden to exhibit it. Therefore, Manet participates in the so-called “Salon of the Rejected” along with other painters who were not allowed to participate in the exhibition. The work received a huge response, and a circle of young artists began to form around Manet. They gathered in a cafe and discussed problems contemporary art, argued about new forms. A society of painters appears who will be called impressionists after one of Claude Monet’s works. This community included Pissarro, Renoir, Cezanne, Monet, Basil, Degas. The first exhibition of artists of this movement took place in 1874 in Paris and ended, like all subsequent ones, in failure. Actually, impressionism in music and painting covers a period of only 12 years, from the first exhibition to the last, held in 1886. Later, the movement begins to disintegrate into new movements, and some artists die. But this period brought about a real revolution in the minds of creators and the public.
Ideological principles
Unlike many other movements, painting in impressionism was not associated with deep philosophical views. The ideology of this school was momentary experience, impression. The artists did not set themselves social goals; they sought to convey the fullness and joy of life in everyday life. Therefore, the genre system of impressionism was generally very traditional: landscapes, portraits, still lifes. This direction is not a union of people based on philosophical views, but a community of like-minded people, each of whom conducts his own quest to study the form of being. Impressionism lies precisely in the uniqueness of the view of ordinary objects; it is focused on individual experience.
Technique
It is quite easy to recognize painting in impressionism by some characteristic features. First of all, it is worth remembering that the artists of this movement were ardent lovers of color. They almost completely abandon black and brown in favor of a rich, bright palette, often heavily bleached. The Impressionist technique is characterized by short strokes. They strive for a general impression rather than careful drawing of details. The canvases are dynamic and intermittent, which corresponds to human perception. Painters strive to place colors on the canvas in such a way as to achieve coloristic intensity or proximity in the picture; they do not mix colors on the palette. Artists often worked plein air, and this was reflected in the technique, which did not have time to dry the previous layers. The paints were applied side by side or one on top of the other, and an opaque material was used, which made it possible to create the effect of an “inner glow.”
Main representatives in French painting
The birthplace of this movement is France; it was here that impressionism first appeared in painting. Artists of this school lived in Paris in the second half of the 19th century. They presented their works at 8 Impressionist exhibitions, and these paintings became classics of the movement. It is the Frenchmen Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, Morisot and others who are the progenitors of the movement we are considering. The most famous impressionist, of course, is Claude Monet, whose works fully embodied all the features of this movement. Also, the movement is rightly associated with the name of Auguste Renoir, who considered his main artistic task to convey the play of the sun; in addition, he was a master of sentimental portraiture. Impressionism also includes such outstanding artists as Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin.
Impressionism in other countries
Gradually the direction is spreading in many countries, the French experience has been successfully picked up in others national cultures, although they have to talk more about individual works and techniques than about the consistent implementation of ideas. German painting in impressionism is represented primarily by the names of Lesser Ury, Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth. In the USA, ideas were implemented by J. Whistler, in Spain - by H. Sorolla, in England - by J. Sargent, in Sweden - by A. Zorn.
Impressionism in Russia
Russian art in the 19th century was significantly influenced by French culture, therefore domestic artists It was also not possible to avoid being carried away by the new trend. Russian impressionism in painting is most consistently and fruitfully represented in the works of Konstantin Korovin, as well as in the works of Igor Grabar, Isaac Levitan, Valentin Serov. The peculiarities of the Russian school were the etude nature of the works.
What was impressionism in painting? The founding artists sought to capture momentary impressions of contact with nature, and Russian creators also tried to convey the deeper, philosophical meaning of the work.
Impressionism today
Despite the fact that almost 150 years have passed since the emergence of the movement, modern impressionism in painting has not lost its relevance today. Thanks to their emotionality and ease of perception, paintings in this style are very popular and even commercially successful. Therefore, many artists around the world are working in this direction. Thus, Russian impressionism in painting is presented in the new Moscow museum of the same name. Exhibitions are held there regularly modern authors, for example V. Koshlyakov, N. Bondarenko, B. Gladchenko and others.
Masterpieces
Modern lovers visual arts Impressionism in painting is often called their favorite direction. Paintings by artists of this school are sold at auctions at incredible prices, and collections in museums enjoy great public attention. The main masterpieces of impressionism are considered to be the paintings by C. Monet “Water Lilies” and “The Rising Sun”, O. Renoir “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette”, C. Pissarro “Boulevard Montmartre at Night” and “Boildier Bridge in Rouen on a Rainy Day”, E. . Degas "Absinthe", although this list can be continued almost endlessly.
Introduction
Impressionism as a phenomenon in art
Impressionism in painting
Impressionist artists
3.1 Claude Monet
3.2 Edgar Degas
3.3 Alfred Sisley
3.4 Camille Pissarro
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
This essay is dedicated to impressionism in art - painting.
Impressionism is one of the brightest and most important phenomena in European art, which largely determined the entire development of modern art. Currently, the works of the Impressionists, who were not recognized in their time, are highly valued and their artistic merits are undeniable. The relevance of the chosen topic is explained by the need for every modern person to understand art styles and know the main milestones of its development.
I chose this topic because impressionism was a kind of revolution in art, changing the idea of works of art as holistic, monumental things. Impressionism brought to the fore the individuality of the creator, his own vision of the world, relegating political and religious subjects and academic laws to the background. It is interesting that emotions and impressions, and not plot and morality, played main role in the works of the Impressionists.
Impressionism (fr. impressionnisme, from impression- impression) - a movement in the art of the last third of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which originated in France and then spread throughout the world, whose representatives sought to most naturally and impartially capture the real world in its mobility and variability, to convey their fleeting impressions. Usually the term “impressionism” refers to a movement in painting, although its ideas have also found their embodiment in literature and music.
The term "impressionism" arose with light hand critic of the magazine “Le Charivari” Louis Leroy, who entitled his feuilleton about the Salon of Les Misérables “Exhibition of the Impressionists”, taking as a basis the title of this painting by Claude Monet.
Auguste Renoir Paddling pool, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Origins
During the Renaissance, painters of the Venetian school tried to convey living reality using bright colors and intermediate tones. The Spaniards took advantage of their experiences, most clearly expressed in such artists as El Greco, Velazquez and Goya, whose work subsequently had a serious influence on Manet and Renoir.
At the same time, Rubens made the shadows on his canvases colored, using transparent intermediate shades. According to Delacroix's observation, Rubens displayed light with subtle, refined tones, and shadows with warmer and rich colors, conveying the effect of chiaroscuro. Rubens did not use black, which would later become one of the main principles of impressionist painting.
Edouard Manet was influenced by the Dutch artist Frans Hals, who painted with sharp strokes and loved contrast bright colors and black.
The transition of painting to impressionism was also prepared by English painters. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Claude Monet, Sisley and Pissarro went to London to study the great landscape painters Constable, Bonington and Turner. As for the latter, already in his later works it is noticeable how the connection with the real image of the world disappears and the withdrawal into the individual transmission of impressions.
Eugene Delacroix had a strong influence, he already distinguished between local color and color acquired under the influence of light, his watercolors painted in North Africa in 1832 or in Etretat in 1835, and especially the painting “The Sea at Dieppe” (1835) allow us to talk about him as a predecessor of the Impressionists.
The final element that influenced the innovators was Japanese art. Since 1854, thanks to exhibitions held in Paris, young artists have discovered the masters Japanese prints such as Utamaro, Hokusai and Hiroshige. A special, hitherto unknown in European fine art, arrangement of an image on a sheet of paper - an offset composition or a tilted composition, a schematic representation of form, a penchant for artistic synthesis - won the favor of the impressionists and their followers.
Story
Edgar Degas, Blue dancers, 1897, Pushkin Museum im. Pushkin, Moscow
The beginning of the search for impressionists dates back to the 1860s, when young artists were no longer satisfied with the means and goals of academicism, as a result of which each of them independently looked for other ways to develop their style. In 1863, Edouard Manet exhibited the painting “Lunch on the Grass” at the Salon of the Rejected and actively spoke at meetings of poets and artists in the Guerbois cafe, which were attended by all the future founders of the new movement, thanks to which he became the main defender of modern art.
In 1864, Eugene Boudin invited Monet to Honfleur, where he spent the entire autumn watching his teacher paint studies in pastels and watercolors, and his friend Yonkind applying paint to his works with vibrating strokes. It was here that they taught him to work en plein air and paint in light colors.
In 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War, Monet and Pissarro went to London, where they became acquainted with the work of the predecessor of impressionism, William Turner.
Claude Monet. Impression. Sunrise. 1872, Marmottan-Monet Museum, Paris.
Origin of the name
The first important exhibition of the Impressionists took place from April 15 to May 15, 1874 in the studio of the photographer Nadar. 30 artists were presented there, with a total of 165 works. Monet's canvas - “Impression. Rising Sun" ( Impression, soleil levant), now in the Marmottin Museum, Paris, written in 1872, gave birth to the term "Impressionism": the little-known journalist Louis Leroy, in his article in the magazine "Le Charivari", called the group "Impressionists" to express his disdain. Artists, out of defiance, accepted this epithet; later it took root, lost its original negative meaning and came into active use.
The name “impressionism” is quite meaningless, unlike the name “Barbizon School”, where at least there is an indication of the geographical location of the artistic group. There is even less clarity with some artists who were not formally included in the circle of the first impressionists, although their technical techniques and means are completely “impressionistic” Whistler, Edouard Manet, Eugene Boudin, etc.) In addition, the technical means of the impressionists were known long before the 19th century centuries and they were (partially, to a limited extent) used by Titian and Velasquez, without breaking with the dominant ideas of their era.
There was another article (by Emil Cardon) and another title - “Rebel Exhibition”, which was absolutely disapproving and condemning. It was precisely this that accurately reproduced the disapproving attitude of the bourgeois public and criticism towards artists (Impressionists), which had prevailed for years. The Impressionists were immediately accused of immorality, rebellious sentiments, and failure to be respectable. IN currently this is surprising, because it is not clear what is immoral in the landscapes of Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, everyday scenes of Edgar Degas, still lifes of Monet and Renoir.
Decades have passed. And the new generation of artists will come to a real collapse of forms and impoverishment of content. Then both criticism and the public saw the condemned impressionists as realists, and a little later as classics of French art.
Impressionism as a phenomenon in art
Impressionism, one of the brightest and most interesting movements in French art of the last quarter of the 19th century, was born in a very complex environment, characterized by diversity and contrasts, which gave impetus to the emergence of many modern movements. Impressionism, despite its short duration, had a significant influence on the art of not only France, but also other countries: the USA, Germany (M. Lieberman), Belgium, Italy, England. In Russia, the influence of impressionism was experienced by K. Balmont, Andrei Bely, Stravinsky, K. Korovin (closest in his aesthetics to the impressionists), the early V. Serov, as well as I. Grabar. Impressionism was the last major art movement in France XIX century, which paved the line between the art of New and Contemporary times.
According to M. Aplatov, “pure impressionism probably did not exist. Impressionism is not a doctrine, it could not have canonized forms...French impressionist artists have one or another of its features to varying degrees.” Usually the term “impressionism” refers to a movement in painting, although its ideas have found their embodiment in other forms of art, for example, in music.
Impressionism is, first of all, the art of observing reality, conveying or creating an impression that has reached unprecedented sophistication, an art in which the plot is not important. This is a new, subjective artistic reality. The Impressionists put forward their own principles of perception and display of the surrounding world. They erased the line between the main subjects worthy high art, and secondary subjects.
An important principle of impressionism was the avoidance of typicality. Immediacy and a casual look have entered art; it seems that the Impressionist paintings were painted by a simple passer-by walking along the boulevards and enjoying life. It was a revolution in vision.
The aesthetics of impressionism developed partly as an attempt to decisively free oneself from the conventions of classicist art, as well as from the persistent symbolism and profundity of late romantic painting, which suggested seeing encrypted meanings in everything that needed careful interpretation. Impressionism not only affirms the beauty of everyday reality, but also makes artistically significant the post-constant variability of the surrounding world, the naturalness of spontaneous, unpredictable, random impressions. Impressionists strive to capture its colorful atmosphere without detailing or interpreting it.
As an artistic movement, impressionism, particularly in painting, quickly exhausted its capabilities. Classical French impressionism was too narrow, and few remained faithful to its principles throughout their lives. In the process of development of the impressionistic method, the subjectivity of pictorial perception overcame objectivity and rose to an increasingly higher formal level, opening the way for all movements of post-impressionism, including the symbolism of Gauguin and the expressionism of Van Gogh. But, despite the narrow time frame - just two decades, impressionism brought art to a fundamentally different level, having a significant impact on everything: modern painting, music and literature, as well as cinema.
Impressionism introduced new themes; works of a mature style are distinguished by a bright and spontaneous vitality, the discovery of new artistic possibilities of color, the aestheticization of a new painting technique, and the very structure of the work. It is these features that emerged in impressionism that are further developed in neo-impressionism and post-impressionism. The influence of impressionism as an approach to reality or as a system of expressive techniques has found its way into almost all art schools beginning of the 20th century, it became the starting point for the development of a number of trends, including abstract art. Some principles of impressionism - transfer instantaneous movement, fluidity of form – in varying degrees appeared in the sculpture of the 1910s, in E. Degas, Fr. Rodin, M. Golubkina. Artistic impressionism greatly enriched the means of expression in literature (P. Verlaine), music (C. Debussy), and theater.
2. Impressionism in painting
In the spring of 1874, a group of young painters, including Monet, Renoir, Pizarro, Sisley, Degas, Cezanne and Berthe Morisot, neglected the official Salon and staged their own exhibition, subsequently becoming the central figures of the new movement. It took place from April 15 to May 15, 1874 in the studio of the photographer Nadar in Paris, on the Boulevard des Capucines. 30 artists were presented there, with a total of 165 works. Such an act in itself was revolutionary and broke with centuries-old foundations, but the paintings of these artists at first glance seemed even more hostile to tradition. It took years before these later recognized classics of painting were able to convince the public not only of their sincerity, but also of their talent. All these very different artists were united by a common struggle against conservatism and academicism in art. The Impressionists held eight exhibitions, the last in 1886.
It was at the first exhibition in 1874 in Paris that Claude Monet's painting of a sunrise appeared. It attracted everyone's attention primarily with its unusual title: “Impression. Sunrise". But the painting itself was unusual; it conveyed that almost elusive, changeable play of colors and light. It was the name of this painting - “Impression” - thanks to the ridicule of one of the journalists, that laid the foundation for a whole movement in painting called impressionism (from the French word “impression” - impression).
Trying to express their immediate impressions of things as accurately as possible, the impressionists created new method painting. Its essence was to convey the external impression of light, shadow, reflexes on the surface of objects with separate strokes of pure paint, which visually dissolved the form in the surrounding light-air environment.
Plausibility was sacrificed to personal perception - the impressionists could, depending on their vision, paint the sky green and the grass blue, the fruits in their still lifes were unrecognizable, human figures were vague and sketchy. What was important was not what was depicted, but “how” was important. The object became a reason for solving visual problems.
The creative method of impressionism is characterized by brevity and sketchiness. After all, only a short sketch made it possible to accurately record individual states of nature. What was previously allowed only in sketches has now become main feature completed paintings. Impressionist artists tried with all their might to overcome the static nature of painting and to forever capture the beauty of a fleeting moment. They began to use asymmetrical compositions to better highlight those who interested them characters and objects. In certain techniques of impressionistic construction of composition and space, the influence of passion for one’s own age is noticeable - not antiquity as before, Japanese engravings (such masters as Katsushika Hokusai, Hiroshige, Utamaro) and partly photography, its close-ups and new points of view.
The Impressionists also updated their color scheme; they abandoned dark, earthy paints and varnishes and applied pure, spectral colors to the canvas, almost without mixing them first on the palette. Conventional, “museum” blackness in their canvases gives way to a play of colored shadows.
Thanks to the invention of metal tubes of paint, ready-made and portable, which replaced the old paints made by hand from oil and powdered pigments, artists were able to leave their studios to work plein air. They worked very quickly, because the movement of the sun changed the lighting and color of the landscape. Sometimes they squeezed paint onto the canvas straight from the tube and produced pure, sparkling colors with a brushstroke effect. By placing a stroke of one paint next to another, they often left the surface of the paintings rough. To preserve the freshness and variety of natural colors in the picture, the Impressionists created a painting system that is distinguished by the decomposition of complex tones into pure colors and the interpenetration of separate strokes of pure color, as if mixing in the viewer’s eye, with colored shadows and perceived by the viewer according to the law of complementary colors.
Striving for maximum immediacy in conveying the surrounding world, the Impressionists, for the first time in the history of art, began to paint primarily in the open air and raised the importance of sketches from life, which almost replaced traditional type paintings carefully and slowly created in the studio. Due to the very method of working en plein air, the landscape, including the city landscape they discovered, occupied a very important place in the art of the Impressionists. important place. The main theme for them was the quivering light, the air in which people and objects seemed to be immersed. In their paintings one could feel the wind, wet earth heated by the sun. They sought to show the amazing richness of color in nature.
Impressionism introduced new themes into art - everyday city life, street landscapes and entertainment. Its thematic and plot range was very wide. In their landscapes, portraits, and multi-figure compositions, artists strive to preserve the impartiality, strength and freshness of the “first impression”, without going into individual details, where the world is an ever-changing phenomenon.
Impressionism is distinguished by its bright and immediate vitality. It is characterized by the individuality and aesthetic value of the paintings, their deliberate randomness and incompleteness. In general, the works of the Impressionists are distinguished by their cheerfulness and passion for the sensual beauty of the world.
Impressionism (fr. impressionnisme, from impression- impression) - a movement in the art of the last third of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which originated in France and then spread throughout the world, whose representatives sought to develop methods and techniques that made it possible to most naturally and vividly capture the real world in its mobility and variability, to convey their fleeting impressions. Usually the term “impressionism” refers to a direction in painting (but this is, first of all, a group of methods), although its ideas also found their embodiment in literature and music, where impressionism also appeared in a certain set of methods and techniques for creating literary and musical works, in which the authors sought to convey life in a sensual, direct form, as a reflection of their impressions
The artist’s task at that time was to depict reality as believably as possible, without showing the artist’s subjective feelings. If he was ordered ceremonial portrait- then it was necessary to show the customer in a favorable light: without deformities, stupid facial expressions, etc. If it was a religious plot, then it was necessary to evoke a feeling of awe and amazement. If it’s a landscape, then show the beauty of nature. However, if the artist despised the rich man who ordered the portrait, or was an unbeliever, then there was no choice and all that remained was to develop his own unique technique and hope for luck. However, in the second half of the nineteenth century, photography began to actively develop and realistic painting began to gradually move aside, since even then it was extremely difficult to convey reality as believably as in a photograph.
In many ways, with the advent of the Impressionists, it became clear that art can have value as the subjective representation of the author. After all, each person perceives reality differently and reacts to it in their own way. It’s all the more interesting to see how in the eyes different people reflects reality and what emotions they experience.
The artist now has an incredible number of opportunities for self-expression. Moreover, self-expression itself has become much freer: take a non-standard plot, theme, tell something other than religious or historical topics, use your own unique technique, etc. For example, the impressionists wanted to express a fleeting impression, the first emotion. This is why their work is vague and seemingly unfinished. This was done in order to show an instant impression, when objects had not yet taken shape in the mind and only slight shifts of light, halftones and blurry contours were visible. Myopic people will understand me) imagine that you have not yet seen the object in its entirety, you see it from afar or simply do not look closely, but you have already formed some kind of impression about it. If you try to depict this, it is likely that you will end up with something like impressionist paintings. Some kind of sketch. That’s why it turned out that for the impressionists, what was more important was not what was depicted, but how.
The main representatives of this genre in painting were: Monet, Manet, Sisley, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne. Separately, it is necessary to note Umlyam Turner as their predecessor.
Speaking of the plot:
Their paintings presented only the positive aspects of life, without touching on social problems, including hunger, disease, and death. This later led to a split among the Impressionists themselves.
Color schemes
The Impressionists paid great attention to color, fundamentally abandoning dark shades, especially black. Such attention to the color scheme of their works brought color itself to a very important place in the picture and pushed further generations of artists and designers to be attentive to color as such.
Composition
The impressionist composition was reminiscent of Japanese painting, complex compositional schemes were used, other canons (not golden ratio or center). In general, the structure of the picture has become more often asymmetrical, more complex and interesting from this point of view.
Composition among the Impressionists began to have a more independent meaning; it became one of the subjects of painting, in contrast to the classical one, where it more often (but not always) played the role of a scheme according to which any work was built. At the end of the 19th century, it became clear that this was a dead end, and the composition itself could carry certain emotions and support the plot of the picture.
Forerunners
El Greco - because he used similar techniques in applying paint and acquired the color from him symbolic meaning. He also distinguished himself with a very original manner and individuality, which the impressionists also strived for.
Japanese engraving - because it gained great popularity in Europe in those years and showed that a picture can be built according to completely different rules than the classical canons European art. This applies to composition, use of color, detailing, etc. Also, in Japanese and generally oriental drawings and engravings, everyday scenes were much more often depicted, which was almost absent in European art.
Meaning
The Impressionists left a bright mark on world art by developing unique techniques letters and having a huge influence on all subsequent generations of artists with their bright and memorable works, a protest against classical school And unique work with color. Striving for maximum spontaneity and accuracy in conveying the visible world, they began to paint mainly in the open air and raised the importance of sketches from life, which almost replaced the traditional type of painting, carefully and slowly created in the studio.
Consistently clarifying their palette, the Impressionists freed painting from earthy and brown varnishes and paints. Conventional, “museum” blackness in their canvases gives way to an infinitely diverse play of reflexes and colored shadows. They immeasurably expanded the possibilities of fine art, opening not only the world of sun, light and air, but also the beauty of London fogs, the restless atmosphere of life big city, the scattering of its night lights and the rhythm of incessant movement.
Due to the very method of working in the open air, the landscape, including the city landscape they discovered, occupied a very important place in the art of the Impressionists. One should not, however, assume that their painting was characterized only by a “landscape” perception of reality, for which they were often reproached. The thematic and plot range of their work was quite wide. Interest in people, and especially in modern life France, in a broad sense, was characteristic of a number of representatives of this trend. His life-affirming, fundamentally democratic pathos clearly opposed the bourgeois world order.
At the same time, impressionism and, as we will see later, post-impressionism are two sides, or rather, two successive time stages of that fundamental change that marked the boundary between the art of New and Contemporary times. In this sense, impressionism, on the one hand, completes the development of everything after the Renaissance art, the leading principle of which was the reflection of the surrounding world in visually reliable forms of reality itself, and on the other hand, it is the beginning of the largest revolution in the history of fine art after the Renaissance, which laid the foundations for a qualitatively new art. stage -
art of the twentieth century.
