Painting Part 2

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.

~Edgar Degas

Dance Class- Degas

For part 2 of painting I’m going to talk about my second favorite period Impressionism.  I love impressionist paintings for the broad range of color and the different technique.  Moving away from the humanistic approach of the renaissance through baroque periods, impressionism was a fresh new approach involving beautiful landscapes and a different perspective. 

Impressionism seen as a realist period was at first condemned.  Started by a group of Paris artists who had a problem with the way art was being accepted in the city impressionism was born as a response to the harsh rules set in place by a intuition know as The Academy.  This academy was against the rising use of a realistic point of view in many of the paintings and refused to show the paintings in their shows.  Angry the group of artists held their own shows to showcase their controversial pieces.  While it was still made fun of having annual shows like this eventually won people over to the ways of impressionism.  Compared to the other paintings being sow around this time impressionism was a radical new change.  

Le Coucher Du Soleil La Seine- Monet

Characterize by its use of complementary colors, soft natural lights and less blending than previous; impressionism gained its popularity in the late 1800’s and had many well-known artists attributed to the movement.  There was an emphasis on natural light, not using the color black (although some still did), working in natural settings outside, and a need to capture the essence of a painting not the details.  Capturing the essence of what they were using as a model was the whole point of impressionist paintings.  They wanted to capture the feeling of landscape or the model, what they thought one should feel. 

Garden Argenteil- Monet

Waiting- Degas

I have two favorite painters in this movement and they would be Monet and Edgar Degas.  Monet was known for his colorful landscapes featuring many different places around France.  He was consider the essential impressionist painter who fully embodied what they wanted and stood for.  Edgar Degas is known for his many ballet paintings and sculptures showing different dancers in various forms even on stage.  Although he hated the term he is one of the most world-renowned impressionist painters.   Both artists were known for participating in the impressionist exhibits held once a year and actually had paintings in many years in a row.

Rehearsal on the Stage- Degas

I first discovered impressionism in my sophomore year art class.  After watching movies on the painters we were to create an oil pastel of anything we wanted and I, inspired by the impressionist paintings, choose to do a Monet painting I found on a postcard.  It was an interesting project and I liked it a lot so I did another one my senior year in my independent art class at first I wanted to a Degas but ended up going with another Monet.

Lilies - Monet

 Impressionism has always been a form of art I admired but I truly fell in love after that project.  The bright colors and use of brush stokes made every painting I came across very intriguing.  The landscapes used colors I originally had never thought of, the tones had a usually positive nature, and the way everything looked dotted makes it fun.  Impressionism implies that we can take away anything we want from the paintings in my opinion it means it makes a different impression on different people.  In my case it said give me a try and I decided that it was the form of art I could love and try and master. 

Ballet Rehearsal- Degas

Sunrise- Monet

What do you like about Impressionism??