The Impressionist Genre of Painting - Essay Example

The Impressionists’ Genre of Painting Introduction While painting, different artists use different styles, and assuch, the style determines the genre of their work. Over the years, due to the revolution of the art of painting, there has been an evolution of different painting genres. One of the most common genres is the impressionists, developed by a group of artists seeking freedom from the traditional forms of art. Arguably, these artists sought to find an independent way of presenting their work, after traditional gallery art disappointed their exhibition efforts. Informatively, this essay discusses artists of the impression, a genre used by modern artists more often than the traditional art genre. Additionally, it will analyze an example of a work of art belonging to this genre by a renowned artist, Edgar Degas. History of the impressionists Nobody ever thought that what began as an insult in the year 1874 would grow into an internationally recognized and accepted genre of art. Impressionists were a diverse group of artists rejected by the art establishment, but were so much in love with art to give up. Determined to express themselves and prove their skills, they established their own exhibition, which allowed bright and multicolored paintings, which were different from the traditional exhibition art works. Impressionism, as artists of the French art exhibition described them, were artists too lazy to complete their paintings for gallery exhibition. These artists had no opportunity to stage their work in the French gallery. Most of them felt that the rules of exhibiting paintings in the art gallery were too rigid, allowing them no freedom of personal expression (Gonzales, et. al. 203). They believed that art was fun, but with the gallery defining rules for exhibition, it lost its interesting part, becoming a boring exercise. Characteristics of the impressionists The subject matter and technique of painting are the characterizing features of impressionist artists. Modernity is what the impressionists sought to express in their paintings (Moffett 86). Typically, they painted landscapes and scenes from both modern urban and suburban life, expressed in pure and bright colors. Preferring the use of the outdoor setting rather than a studio, these artists captured the actual setting they were presently in, in their paintings (Gonzales, et. al. 204). This made their work more engaging and interesting, unlike the studio artists, as the audience could relate to it better and more easily. Their work demonstrated the activities of everyday life, especially the middle class. In their paintings, they showed activities such as shopping, working, strolling, leisure, among other activities such as love. However, most of the impressionists painted about nature (Moffett 86). Their paintings were so simple that one did not require the services of an interpreter to know the ideas behind the reasoning of an artist (Gonzales, et. al. 204). Additionally, the simple nature of their artwork identified each artist with their work, an element absent from the traditional art genre. Significance of the impressionists Despite criticisms that the impressionists artists faced, they played a big role in the revolution of the modern art. The determination in which they had in fighting for their voice in art world paid off when the audience started appreciating their work. Although their first few exhibition projects did not pay off, the impressionists held top their dream of making their style known to the people (Salvi et al. 4). Now, modern artwork incorporates many features and characteristics of the impressionists’ artwork features. Modern artists freely use color, and prefer landscaping, urban and suburban lifestyles in their work. Some imaginatively however incorporate culture in their artwork. Salvi et al. (5) point out that the introduction of a new style of painting also did away with interpreters. In the French gallery, there were painting interpreters who guided the audience in understanding various paintings on display. The time taken during the explanation process, and the hidden meaning in drawing made art not only boring, but also a tedious undertaking. It was not interesting to listen to an interpreter, something the impressionists appeared to notice with their paintings. Providing the people with an opportunity to look at a drawing without the help of an interpreter was one of the biggest milestones of the impressionists (Salvi et al. 5). Gradually, as their work gained popularity, they captured more people, therefore making their work even more popular than the traditional gallery artwork. The audience could identify an artist with their work, understand an artist’s ideas and reasoning, making the exercise more interesting and captivating. Examples of the Impressionists artists and their work Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt at the Louvre This, arguably, is one of the most complicated works by Edgar Degas. The painting portrays Cassat and her sister in the galleries of the Musee du Louvre (Degas web). The complex nature of the painting however does not conceal anything from the audience, as its detailed nature reveals features of the painting. The painting was meant to appear in the first issue of a prospective journal, Le Jour et la Nuit, a collaboration between Edgar and Casssat. Mary Cassatt, At the Opera In the late 1870s, Edgar Degas introduced Mary Cassatt to the impressionists group. Initially, Cassat admired some of his paintings while on a tour to France with her family. She later joined them, becoming a full member of the group. Some of her notable works include, At the Opera, a 1879 painting and La Sortie Du Bain. In this painting, Cassatt portrays a woman watching the opera using a pair of binoculars. There is a sense of space surrounding her, as a man watches her from the other side of the opera. The colorful nature of this picture was a characteristic of the impressionist’s artists (Cassatt web). Conclusion One of the most common genres of paintings is the impressionists. The nature and the style of their painting gave their work unique characteristics. Having failed to impress judges at the French art gallery, the impressionists started their own exhibition gallery that allowed the use of color in their paintings. The success of these efforts launched a new genre of art, which formed the basis for the modern form of art, known as the impressionists. Works Cited Cassatt, Mary. At the Opera. 1879. Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Sedef’s Corner. Web. 5 November 5, 2013 http://www.sedefscorner.com/2011/03/edgar-degas-and-mary-cassatt-two.html Degas, Edgar. Mary Cassatt at the Louvre: The Etruscan Gallery. 1880. The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Web. 5 November 2013 http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/19.29.2 Gonzales, et. at. Mapeh in action 2008 ed. Rex Bookstore, Inc Moffett, Charles. Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991. Print. Salvi, Francesco, L R. Galante, Andrea Ricciardi, and Susan Ashley. The Impressionists. Minneapolis, MN: Oliver Press, 2008. Print. Read More