French Impressionism (3)

Famous French Impressionism artists

- Camille Pissarro - Gustave Caillebotte - Pierre Auguste Renoir - Edgar Degas - Berthe Morisot - Mary Cassatt

Ukiyo-e (floating world, Japanese woodblock prints)

- Japanese woodblock printing from the 19th century - discovered as packing material in goods from Japan - exhibited at Paris Universal Exposition 1867 - subject matter: genre scenes, subjects from temporary events like theatre, dance, erotica, courtesans - impacts composition and other visual techniques of impressionistic painting

What set the stage for the appearance of impressionism?

- The industrial revolution - Rebuilding Paris by Baron Haussmann - Invention of Tube Paint - Invention of photography

Invention of Tube paint

- allowed for Impressionists to paint outside - Paris was very beautiful, so people could go outside and actually enjoy scenery - impressionist pondered nature of color and light, interested in how they saw color in nature

Salon de Paris

- annual art exhibition in 19th century - est. by the Académie des Beaux-Arts

What qualities or characteristics of photographs influenced impressionism?

- asymmetrical compositions - silhouette - interest in broad landscape (distance in between camera and subject matter) - elevated point of view (birds eye view) - interest in spontaneity of scenes and action

Subject matter of impressionists

- genre scenes - the bourgeoisie - portraits - still-life - landscapes - architecture - anything outdoors that provided surface for play of light and color - images of industrialization (trains, factories, etc.)

Edgar Degas

- heavily influenced by photography (photographer Mubridge) - painted movement

Gustave Caillebotte

- important patron of impressionism - painted "Paris street, rainy day"

Impressionists summary of characteristics

- impressionists felt free to choose their subject matter - played with effects of natural and artificial light (shimmering, constantly moving) - also looked at atmospheric effects like rain, fog, mist, etc.

What makes impressionism modern?

- liberated color use for painters (could paint trees purple) - liberated the brush stroke (rapid, spontaneous strokes and okay to see the brush strokes in art) - allowed painters to expand subject matter

L'Orangeries des Tuileries

- museum in Paris that focuses on Impressionism - displays Monet's art

Brushwork style

- open brushwork - quick way to paint fleeting outdoor scenes - influenced by Delacroix and Manet

La Loge

- painter of porcelain - style was soft/blurry

Mary Cassatt

- presented unorthodox images of women (ex: women who had financial autonomy, participating in cultural events, engaging intellectual activity etc.) - impressionists usually painted women outdoors as performers, dancers, nudes, listening or watching men do something

Rebuilding Paris by Baron Haussmann

- rebuilt Paris so that it was beautiful and wide open for citizens (had parks, recreation, etc.) - connected all the major monuments

Pierre Auguste Renoir

- started as a china painter - painted China glass, feathery painting style

Industrial revolution

- time of change - gave rise to wealthy middle class (le bourgeoisie) who had leisure time - increased demand for workers, had no rights (created lower class) - offered subject matter for impressionist painters (gas lamps, railroads, factories, etc.)

Stylistic characteristics of impressionist painting

- transient effects of sunlight and color - shimmering movement of light on objects outdoors - loose and broken brushstrokes, heavy impasto (not blended and smooth) - color defines shadow (no more black and grey) - the essence or impression of an object is captured (immediate, bright, transient)

Claude Monet

- travelled to London to escape Franco Prussian War - met and trained under JMW Turner (British painter, focused on atmospheric affects of wind, rain, smoke, etc.) - lived in Giverny - serial painter, painted same thing over and over (wanted to get different atmospheric perspective of same object)

Berthe Morisot

- woman painter taught by Monet - back then women were only allowed to paint inside (painted domestic scenes mostly) - liked to paint movement and look at effects of artificial lighting

Le Salon des refusés

a group that formed to show their art, after Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, and Renoir were refused admission to Salon des Paris

How did the impressionism movement get it name?

from Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet

Camille Pissarro

grandfather of impressionism

Academie des Beaux-Arts

group of educated men that decided which art that could or could not be admitted to the exhibition

Color theory

impressionists liked to let the viewer's eye help blend the colors

Optical Truth

impressionists paint what they saw (okay to paint tree purple)

Manet

pre-cursor to impressionism and modernity