IMPRESSIONISM PAINTING: Play Of Basic Brush Strokes

Theme: Impressionism landscape paintings

The art of Impressionist painters is based on use of colours. These artists draw motive without resorting to line. Monet and Sisley had very delicate sensations while encountering natural scenes. They tried painting the soul of the scene.

Lady with a Parasol, study

THE ART: The artists visiting the Paris museum generally engaged themselves in copying the painters displayed there in. But there was a man: Claude Monet. He was not interested in copying; he would look outside of the Museum windows and paint what he would see there. From the day Claude Monet named his one of the famous paintings as ‘Impression Sunrise’, the movement is known by that name, the impressionist painting. Monet was a prolific artist of the impressionist movement. Monet was consistent in believing in the philosophy of expressing one's perceptions.

THE ARTISTS: Claude Monet (1840 – 1926) was a French Impressionist. On his visit to Paris, he too, was used to visit The Louvre, as all the artists did. Though being an expert in using colours Monet had almost renounced the use of black colour in his paintings. Here is what he said about his palate. "I don't think one could paint better or more brightly with another palette. The most important thing is to know how to use the colours. Their choice is a matter of habit.” However the master impressionist painter, in his last four or five years of life, Monet had problem with his eyes and was nearly blind before he died in 1926.Monet died of lung cancer in 1926 at the age of 86. (Image Courtesy Claude Monet [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

Monet Painting in Series: Creating Relationship Between Colours and Light

THE TECHNIQUE : Monet would put life into the core of the colours. He was a man of innovation and pioneering work. As his career advanced, he kept improving his own style of painting, too. He started painting series of canvases, painting same scene as it looked at different time of the day. It allowed Monet to allow his artistic vision about painting sunlight in different stages of the day. In the different moods of the sunlight, the structures of the subjects looked being dissolved allowing a space to the vision of the artist.

Monet had his own way of painting, especially the water. His paintings of small streams sparkled with flurries of light, which moved canvas with the shower of light and joy.

Monet's paintings done in several moods are known as Haystacks, Views of Seine, and paintings of River Thames. The paintings titled as Water Lily Pond and Japanese bridge are among these types of painting series. The painting given here is one of the eighteen paintings of one scene Monet had painted during the year 1899. He used colours depicting light of the day in such a way as if he wanted to show us how the relationship between the characteristics of the colours and the light could be established. (Image courtesy Claude Monet [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

Monet Writing about Monet: "I was born undisciplineable. No one was ever able to make me stick to the rules, not even in my youngest days. It was at home that I learned most of what I do know. I equated my college life with that of a prison and I could never resolve to spend my time there, even for four hours a day when the sun was shinning bright, the sea was so beautiful and it was so good to run along the cliff-tops in the fresh air or frolic in the sea." - Claude Monet (in his autobiography) His paintings and prints made from the paintings decorate many art galleries and private colletions. His painting Nympheas - Water Lilies was sold for GBP £16,500,000 (US $32,670,000). This was one of the highest prices paid for Monet's work.

IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING : IMPRESSIONISM, THE ART OF HERE AND NOW

In impressionist painting, the artist concentrates on general impression created by the scene.

The term impressionism was an unknown word in the art world until the early nineteenth century. The works by the great artists like Constable and Turner were branded as ‘unrefined daubing’. The academicians were not happy with such theme as impressionist paintings. From the day Claude Monet name his one of the famous paintings as ‘Impression Sunrise’, the movement is known by that name, the impressionist painting. Joining of the artist like Edouard Manet helped the movement to take a great leap forward. The work done by Renoir and Degas gave the movement much fame and new perspective, too.

Dance in the City - Renoir

Renoir was considered as the leader among the Impressionists. He earned that title for his portrayal of luminous colour, dexterously mixed brushstrokes. He formed warm sensuality by nuances of light and shadow that his brush strokes put on the canvasses. Renoir was a master in the impressionist style who celebrated beauty from whatever elements he might come across. His paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated colour, focusing on people in candid composition, and fusing the details of a scene through freely brushed touches of colour. (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Impressionism: Under the style of impressionist, the artist concentrates on general impression that is produced by the scene or the object he or she paints. In most of the cases the painting is completed in one sitting. The impressionists style use unmixed and mainly the primary colours. By using smaller strokes of their brushes, these artists try causing the actual effect of the light and shadow.

The free movement of the painter’s arm with brush in his hand and eyes on the object, made this style more popular and satisfying for all. In this style of paintings there is more margin for the artist’s point of view and angel of perception to be rendered through a more human and more energetic approach. It is really a treat to catch the changing light and varying ambiance virtually in no time.

While painting a piece of art, the artists care for various themes and their intellectual meanings, too. But the impressionist artists care more for the ‘visual significance’ and keep that as their main motive. They feel happy and satisfied if they can reproduce the on-the-spot effects of the transient effects of sunlight on the landscape.

THE ARTIST : Paintings by Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919) give us feeling of his favourite subject: depiction of the moment of time, here and now. Being the best loved impressionist, he painted beautiful scenes, pretty children, the flowers, above all lovely women. His brush had the skill depicting the faces he liked, describing the candid facial features. He painted youthful spirits and charm of the persons he took as models.

This painting, Two Sisters (On the Terrace), Oil on Canvas size 100x 80 cm, is masterly painted so far as the technicality of the paintings is concerned. In addition to the youthful depiction of the two young ladies, the real beauty lies in the youthful scenery of the nature, the green leave and the landscape seen in the background. Beauty of the season of spring and promise of youth are the subjects of celebration for a painter.

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

THE ART : Under the style of impressionist, the artist considers the impression created by the general impression of the natural surrounding. And these artists generally completed their painting in one sitting. The impressionist painters mostly use unmixed and primary colours. By using smaller strokes of their brushes, the impressionist style artists try causing the actual effect of the light and shadow.

As a master impressionist Renoir always transformed what he saw, what really was before his eyes. Though the artists imagination is not ruled our here. With his artistic skill he had injected beauty in the nature by creating the harmony through the vivid colours. Look at the natural things like green leave in the background and the artificial thing, a hat, in the fore ground. Nothing defeats the harmony of the whole painting. The translucent blue skilfully used in the painting help us seeing the nature with a fresh look.