Part I · Art movements · Chapter 8 of 31

Impressionism

c. 1867–1886. The Impressionists painted light itself — fleeting moments outdoors, modern Paris, coloured shadows — in quick, broken strokes of bright colour.

Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet — **Impression, Sunrise**, Claude Monet (1872). Oil on canvas. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Woman with a Parasol by Claude Monet — **Woman with a Parasol**, Claude Monet (1875). Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond by Claude Monet — **Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond**, Claude Monet (c. 1920). Oil on canvas. Museum of Modern Art, New York. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Context

Rejected by the official Salon, a group of artists held their own exhibition in 1874. A critic mocked Monet's Impression, Sunrise, and the name stuck.

New paint in metal tubes (1841) and portable easels let painters work outdoors (en plein air). New synthetic pigments gave brighter colours.

Japanese prints and photography inspired unusual crops, high viewpoints and asymmetry. Subjects were modern: cafés, railway stations, boating parties, ballet rehearsals.

Key artists

Artist	Life	Known for
Claude Monet	1840–1926	Light and series painting: Impression, Sunrise; Water Lilies.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir	1841–1919	Dappled light on figures: Bal du moulin de la Galette.
Edgar Degas	1834–1917	Dancers, pastel and bold cropping.
Berthe Morisot	1841–1895	Intimate scenes with airy brushwork: The Cradle.
Mary Cassatt	1844–1926	Mothers and children; Japanese-print design.
Camille Pissarro	1830–1903	Rural and city views; mentor of the group.
Gustave Caillebotte	1848–1894	Modern Paris in sharp perspective.

Key works

Tap any image to zoom; works marked ◎ have notes on key details.

Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer) by Claude Monet — **Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer)**, Claude Monet (1890–1891). Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Bal du moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir — **Bal du moulin de la Galette**, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1876). Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre-Auguste Renoir — **Luncheon of the Boating Party**, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1880–1881). Oil on canvas. The Phillips Collection, Washington. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Two Sisters (On the Terrace) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir — **Two Sisters (On the Terrace)**, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1881). Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte — **Paris Street; Rainy Day**, Gustave Caillebotte (1877). Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The Dance Class by Edgar Degas — **The Dance Class**, Edgar Degas (1873–1876). Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The Cradle by Berthe Morisot — **The Cradle**, Berthe Morisot (1872). Oil on canvas. Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The Child's Bath by Mary Cassatt — **The Child's Bath**, Mary Cassatt (1893). Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet — **A Bar at the Folies-Bergère**, Édouard Manet (1882). Oil on canvas. The Courtauld, London. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Techniques

Painting outdoors directly from the subject.
Broken colour: short strokes of unmixed colour placed side by side.
Coloured shadows — blues and violets instead of brown or black.
Wet-into-wet (alla prima), often finished in one sitting.
Light, often white or pale grounds instead of dark ones.
Series: the same motif painted at different times of day (Monet's stacks of wheat).

How to paint in this style

Go outside with a small canvas (or panel) and limit yourself to 1–2 hours — the light changes.
Use a white or very light ground, and no black on the palette.
Squint and block in the big colour shapes first — sky, ground, light mass, shadow mass.
Paint shadows as colours: cool blues and violets next to warm sunlit oranges and yellows.
Use short, broken strokes; don't over-blend. Let colours mix in the viewer's eye.
Stop while it still looks fresh. Leave edges soft and suggestive.

Typical palette

Lead white, chrome or cadmium yellow, vermilion, madder lake, cobalt blue, French ultramarine, viridian and emerald green — and usually no black.