Impressionism

Hello guys, 

First, let me tell you some basics about Impressionism, specifically the main thoughts and style.

This new style of art began in the 19th century in France. It is characterized as an art style that captures ordinary life, landscapes and movements from very unusual visual angles. The crucial elements in paintings were human feelings and experiences. The Impressionists made open compositions (your attention is moving from one subject to another, you can't focus on one) with small but visible brush strokes.

The Impressionists found out that they would rather capture momentary effects of sunlight than paint in studios still lives and figures. They accomplished the desired effect by working very quickly outdoors in front of the subject. That meant rapid brushwork, which broke into separate strokes in order to catch the fleeing light. 

Its result was a greater awareness of light, colour, shadows and the ever-shifting pattern of the natural scene. You can see that in the paintings above. They also wanted the main subject to be the first thing that catches the eye of the viewer. So they balanced the background with the main subject as if it was a snapshot of a larger reality, captured by pure luck.

Next time we talk about some impressionist artists.

Yours, Eliška Vančurová

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