Impressionism and Its Effect of the Development of Art - Essay Example

Outline Overview of the Impressionism art 2. Content and composition of Impressionism art 3. Influence of Impressionism on artists 4. Influence of Sculpture, Photography, and Film 5. Influence on Music and Literature 6. Influence on Painted Art Today and conclusion Impressionism and its effects on the development of Art Impressionism is looked at as being the first ever-distinct modern movement in the world of painting. Initially, the Impressionism art movement started in the 19th century as a group France artists. However, its recognition occurred in late 17th Century with its influence spreading quickly to part of Europe and the US (The ArtStory.org www.artstory.org). The artists behind the formation of Impressionism movement are said to have coined the name from the work of Claude Monet. Overview of the Impressionism Art The Impressionist form of art was peculiar in the sense that unlike other traditional paintings at the time of its origin, Impressionist paintings included relatively small, thin but nevertheless visible brush strokes. Impressionist paintings focused more on depicting light accurately in its altering qualities. Contrary to the fine finish detail to which most traditional artists always wanted to achieve in their works, the Impressionist’s were focused on capturing the immediate effect of a scene in their painting (Britt 14). It was often the case that still lifes and portraits were always painted indoors by artists before the emergence of Impressionism movement. The Impressionists, however, realized they capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight simply by painting en plein air. As a result, their paintings were a realistic reflection of modern life characterized by rich visual effects as opposed to details. In order to achieve the visual effects, the Impressionists often used short “broken” brush strokes composed of mixed and pure unmixed color. Consequently, this provided the effect of intense color vibration in their paintings (Britt 16-17). Content and Composition of Impressionism Art Prior to the formation of the Impressionism art movement, art painting was being practiced. The earlier painters, for instance, the 17th century painters including the Dutch often focused their attention on common subjects but somehow their composition remained largely traditional. In particular, these traditional painters arranged their composition in a manner intended to draw the attention of the viewer (The ArtStory.org www.artstory.org). The Impressionists’ way of painting was largely different in the sense that it relaxed the boundary occurring between the subject and background; consequently, their impression of their painting resembled a snapshot of the realistic environment. It is argued that the Impressionists got much of their inspiration from photography, which was coming up at the time. For example, through photography, the Impressionists are said to have got an inspiration to capture a moment, not just in the fleeting lights of a landscape, but also in the daily lives of the people (Schmunk 519). It is believed that the rise of the Impressionist movement was largely as a reaction by artists following the emergence of a new medium of photography. The shooting of still images is, in particular, thought to have challenged artists by providing them a new medium through which they could capture reality. At the initial stages, the artists perceived photography as undermining their depiction of nature as lacking in providing a true picture of the environment and reality (Britt 42). As time moved on, however, the artists were challenged and consequently pursued other means of artistic expression while avoiding direct competition with photography. It is argued that photography encouraged artists to be more creative and led to some exploiting aspects such as color that photography lacked at that time (Britt 44). Influence of Impressionism on Artists Following the rise of Impressionism, the first people who became the subject of inspiration were the close associates of the Entertainers. The most notable influenced artists include Giuseppe De Nittis and Federico Sandomeneghi, who were both Italians. Others include Eva Gonzales and James Abbott McNeill, who were both American artists. By the early 1880s, the wave of Impressionism was significantly high within the art fraternity and was affecting, at least superficially the art of the Salon. Renowned painters including Jean Beraud and Henri Gervex are said to have gained financial success largely by using Impressionist techniques in brightening their palettes. This worked well in ensuring that the smooth finish expected of Salon art remained intact (The ArtStory.org www.artstory.org). Influence of Sculpture, Photography, and Film Impressionism had a major influence on sculpture work of the time. For instance, Auguste Rodin is thought to have employed Impressionism techniques in modeling the surfaces of his work to suggest transient light effects. As regards photography, Impressionism thought to have had an influence especially on pictorial photographers who added atmospheric effects on their work. With regards to film, many French filmmakers are thought to have used Impressionism in their work including Abel Gance and Jean Epstein (The ArtStory.org www.artstory.org). Influence on Music and Literature Impressionism had a significant development on the development of music and literature in the 19th century through the middle 20th century. Musical Impressionism is thought to have started in France following the development of Impressionism art. The Impressionist music was characterized by among other things suggestion and atmosphere, and steered away from the emotional excesses of the Romantic era (Britt 78). Short forms also characterized the music with the most notable ones being nocturne and prelude. The Impressionism music is thought to have brought new dimensions to music by exploring uncommon scales, for example, the whole tone scale. In addition, Impressionism also led to innovation in music for example composing using major 7th cords and also cord structures extension in 3rds to five and six part harmonies (Britt 81). The visual Impressionism had a considerable influence on music with the Maurice Ravel thought as being one of the greatest Impressionist composers. Eric Satie is also categorized among the artists who changed music through visual Impressionism although his approach is perceived as leaning more towards musical novelty. Influence of musical Impressionism is also notable in the work of composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams of Italy, and John Ireland of England (The ArtStory.org www.artstory.org). Impressionism also had an important effect on literature. It was variously used to describe different works of literature by creating sensory impressions of an incident or a scene. It is important to note that Impressionism closely relates to Symbolism and many authors have used it in their work. Most notable authors who have used the same in their work include Virginia Woof and Joseph Conrad. Their literature work is thought to have been done in a way that integrates Impressionism. For instance, by describing rather than interpreting, the impressions and sensations that form part of the mental life (The ArtStory.org www.artstory.org). Effect on Painted Art Today The art of Impressionism contributed immensely to art as it is today. Following its introduction, many artists started developing different precepts for the use and application of color. As a result, many artists for example Camille Pissarro started painting in a pointillist manner while abandoning their original styles. The Impressionists helped create a model of freedom and subjectivity that is quite instrumental in the art industry today (Schmunk 520). It should be noted that the rules the Impressionists were thought to have broken were only curtailing art and limiting. As such, their innovative ways allowed more creativity in the art industry; consequently, the art continues to expand and will continue to grow and break limits that will fascinate people. Conclusion The art of Impressionism is very import in the art industry and is considered to have contributed to the modern art. This art brought a new way of thinking to the artists and consequently empowered them to be more creative. Works Cited Britt David, Modern Art: Impressionism to Modern Art, New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007. Print. Schmunk, Peter, ‘Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity,’ SECAC Review, 2014. 16(4), 519-522. The ArtStory.org, “Impressionism” 2014, Available at http://www.theartstory.org/movement- impressionism.htm (Accessed 2nd April, 2015). Read More