Before impressionism, academic art followed the strict rule that you wanted your painting not to appear to be a painting. The brush strokes were supposed to be non-existent, and the textures were supposed to appear real-world. Realism art was long before cameras, so paintings were the closest thing to capturing moments and memories.
Impressionism and Its History
To be considered a masterpiece, artwork was following a realism style. Then the impressionism movement came along in the early 1860s with intentional brush strokes and texture. French artist Claude Monet is recognized for being the father of impressionism and disrupting the traditional art world.
Impressionist artists are also known for painting outside, using the sunlight and scenery in front of them as their muse, rather than painting in a studio. Artists would sit outside at park spaces, docks, and other places around Paris and paint what was in front of them, creating a movement of impressionism art.
Impressionist art uses small, unblended brushstrokes, but with real depictions of light, and just an impression of whatever subject is being painted. Impression art is usually quickly painted and in one sitting, usually outside and depicting of a landscape, but with bold colors.
The first exhibition of impressionism art was in 1874. Claude Monet’s piece “Impression Sunrise” was featured, along with other French impressionist artists such as Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and Paul Cezanne. The exhibition featured over 200 pieces by the Société Anonyme Coopérative des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs.
About The Artwork
“Impression Sunrise” was the title that actually inspired the name of the impressionist movement.
At time, people looked at this as an unfinished piece of art, and scoffed at Monet’s piece. Despite the disruption to tradition, “Impression Sunrise” is now considered a masterpiece of color and light.
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“Impression Sunrise” was one piece in a series of Claude Monet that featured the same port, Le Havre, which was in his Monet’s hometown in northwest France. The reflection of the sun and the shadows of the boat are depicted in this piece, and lighting is something that impressionism style became known for.
The Artistic Style
“The loose brush strokes meant to suggest the scene rather than to mimetically represent it.” This style means that the viewer can interpret the artwork and the scene rather than being fully accuratately transposed.
The colors melt together visually so that you can tell it is a sunrise and boats, but the colors and strokes contrast each other. The orange is a complimentary color to the blues, and the ocean melts into the sunrise, with the reflection of the sun melting into the water. This style allows the scene to be interpreted by the viewer. It’s interesting, and it broke the rules of what was considered good art at the time.
Despite its ridicule, it eventually was the spark that led to more abstract styles. “Impression Sunrise” is today viewed as a catalyst in the modern art world. It broke the rules of traditional style and was a gateway for new creative styles in the evolutiob of modern art.
The Artwork Value
In 1874, “Impression Sunrise” was bought for 800 francs, then sold again for 200 francs in 1877. In 1985, the painting was stolen at gunpoint and then retrieved 5 years later at a Corsican apartment. Today it is valued over $250 million. The painting “Impression Sunrise” is currently displayed at the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, and is a popular piece for art history buffs to see in person.
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