What did the Impressionists aim to do Discuss their subject matter and their distinctive painting method - Essay Example

assignment is due Impressionists are considered as artists who made revolutionary changes on the accepted ideas on light and color. Impressionists developed their own special way of depicting their special world. Impressionism was originated as artists started using their own natural ways of lighting their work. They began watching this world with new immediacy and freshness. Impressionists have certain aims in common. They gathered together to exhibit at a common studio. The main aim of impressionists was to objectively record the world with respect to the protean effects of light and color. The Post-Impressionists, however, intended a better ambitious expression of light and color. Impressionists were initially considered as painters of mere impressions who are unable to create a well composed and finished painting. However, their special way of depicting the world received recognition later. An Impressionist paints outdoor sceneries and landscapes. They work for short period of time. They stop when light changes and resume their work when light become similar on another day. The Impressionist way of painting is done by making new advances in color. Color is packed in collapsible tubes that are portable. New ranges of colors are available, for example, some are less fugitive compared to others. Impressionist’s way working initially alienated the public though it gained great impression in some minds. The Thames below Westminster” is an example of nature painting that has the typical impressionist characteristics. It is a misty London landscape painting. The scene of London drowned in mass of fog captured the artistic heart of Claude. The special impressionist technique, the smear effect of brush touch, is recognizable in this painting. The less contrast of white and black and the balance between two main colors constitute the typical impressionist characteristics. Grey and beige color balance in the painting forms a smooth texture of mist perception. The Water-Lily Pond (1899) also has typical impressionist character of painting nature. The simple design of this painting, the lake and the close-up view of the bridge, makes it special. The painting shows an early summer day, leaves of fresh green color. The lively brushstrokes and application of pure color makes the painting a special impressionist painting. Seurat’s Bathers at Asnieres (1884), the celebrated painting of the young artist Georges Seurat (1859-1891) shows some special impressionist characteristics. The usual pattern of impressionist paintings is visible in this painting. The open-air light effects, that are special characteristics of impressionist works, are found in this painting. According to impressionist ideas, the actual color of an object can be modified by various effects like sunlight, atmospheric light and juxtaposed colors. The technique of modifying color is visible in this painting. The painting is an example of the color theory of impressionists. It also shows an outdoor scene that is very common in impressionist paintings. A Wheatfield, with Cypresses 1889, the celebrated Vincent Van Gogh painting exhibits several characteristics of the paintings of impressionism. The painting shows nature, that is found in several other impressionist paintings. The equable balance of Impressionism, found in this painting, is cleanly replaced by an emotional disturbance. Calm objectivity is replaced by a special expression of intense feeling. The variety and freedom employed in the use of brush and the juxtaposition of near-primary colors makes A Wheatfield, with Cypresses 1889 a typical impressionist painting. The sunny landscape and the cypress trees also characterize the impressionist works. Van Gogh's Long Grass with Butterflies (1890) is another painting that shows the characteristics of works of the impressionism period. Nature scene and the color contrast visible in the painting makes it an impressionist painting. For capturing the constantly changing effects of light on canvas, impressionist artists had to paint rapidly. They had to analyze color and tone, giving less importance to composition and drawing. The broken brushstrokes sometimes dabbed paint off. The high key of color also gathered great criticism. Similarly they moved away from the general norm with their even loading of the paint surface. The generally accepted way to paint is to paint shadows lightly. They also paint on lightly tinted surfaces (often white surfaces). This contributes a brilliance of luminosity and color. The Impressionists artists were preoccupied by the term ‘light.’ The fleeting effects of light on different surfaces like skin and water and transitory effects of light are considered by impressionists. Impressionists are concerned by the manner in which changing light influences color. The influence of colored light on shadows is a major concept in impressionism. For example, orange light may form a blue shadow as the shadow falls complementary to light. Impressionists aim to capture all these in their paintings. Their common aim is to form a painting technique that is varied from the conventional academic painting, like Romanticism and Neo-Classicism. Impressionists completed their paintings by using asymmetrical compositions, textured surfaces, bright color and broken brushstrokes. Impressionists are not bothered about any form or expression. Story of impressionism is the way how a radical breakaway movement turned out to be the most popular styles of art. The very term impressionist was used to insult the early impressionists who came forward with an exhibition of their new paintings in Paris, in 1874. The art establishment did not hesitate to reject the diverse group of impressionist painters. The painters Renoir, Monet, Degas and Pissarro set up their own exhibition. What really explain impressionism for the modern day people is its technique and the subject matter. Landscaped and daily-life scenes taken from suburban and modern urban life are illustrated in pure, bright colors in the impressionist paintings. Impressionists often chose outdoors for working on their paintings. Gare Saint Lazare is an example of these types of paintings. During the winter of 1876/7 the artist painted the station. He made seven paintings; all these together play a major part in the development of impressionism. Monet made several paintings of countryside while he was living in Argenteuil. In the winter he rented a studio and started painting the paintings of the Saint Lazare railway station. The interior images of the train shed and tracks were also brought to canvas. This painting shows his interest in urban subjects, like other impressionists. Impressionist painters like Degas, Manet and Caillebotte also included several urban themes in their paintings. These paintings help us understand the urban life of that period. Several impressionist paintings captured urban daily-life. Impressionist paintings later became the best-admired and best known works of art-lovers. Impressionist painters selected the daily life of people as their popular subjects and prepared paintings that help the modern day people understand the lives of people of that period. Degas, Monet and Renoir present before us the countryside resorts, beaches, cafes and theatres of the nineteenth century Paris. At the Theatre (La Premiere Sortie) 1876-77 painting is an impressionist painting that represents the life of people of that period. In the painting we can see an young girl who is leaning forward to properly view the performance. Theatre, cabaret, and circus were some of the city entertainments of those times. These themes are visible in several impressionist paintings. Renoir’s 'La Loge' is yet another painting that depicts theatre. Impressionist painters captured the lives of people in their works. Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879) is yet another painting that shows a circus scene. Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas prepared this painting in which the famous aerialist La La is exhibiting her special stunt. She is hanging with her teeth on the end of a rope. The painting shows the breathless excitement of the scene. The crowd is curiously looking at her as she is hanging above their heads. The typical scene of this painting is an example of impressionist painting that portrays original events. The circus seen in this painting was in Montmartre. This has been a sketching-ground for painters. Three Dancers in Violet Tutus (1896) is another painting of the impressionist period that shows dancers performing in stage. The dancers are in radiantly colorful costumes. The dancers are presented in free, expressive manner. This is yet another characteristic of impressionist painting. The colorful costumes of people are visible in other impressionist paintings also. The scientific discoveries and inventions that happened in the nineteenth century made heavy influence in the art works, typically the impressionist paintings. New researches encouraged artists to try complementary colors. For example, in Renoir's The Skiff (La Yole), we find an orange boat placed on cobalt blue lake. Orange and blue were traditionally considered to be opposite to each other in the color spectrum. By keeping them adjacent to each other, both appeared brighter and deeper. The way in which human mind processes scenes they see, is a topic of great significance to the impressionist painters. When people look at a crowd of people or a big landscape, they do not immediately see every face or a tree in detailed focus. They rather see a mass of light or color. Impressionist artists attempted to present this experience. Bathers at La Grenouillere 1869, the oil on canvas picture, is an example of this type of painting. Read More