Autumn paintings by impressionists. Modern impressionism in painting

Fat strokes, bright colors, everyday scenes of life, candid poses and, most importantly, an accurate description of light... Only a small fraction of the characteristics of one of the most popular artistic movements. Impressionism appeared in France in the mid-19th century. Before its emergence, authors usually created still lifes, portraits and even landscapes in their studios. The first impressionists broke traditional canons and literally went into the fields - they began to create outdoors, capturing realistic scenes of contemporary life. Although Impressionism was initially heavily criticized, it soon led to a similar movement in music and literature. We invite you to admire the most famous paintings of this revolutionary movement in art.

Bar at the Folies Bergere, Edouard Manet, 1882

Manet's last major work and simply greatest work art. The canvas depicts the famous cabaret of Paris, which the artist himself often visited. To convey the atmosphere of the period and make the scene more complex, he depicted a mirror in the background, which reflects the huge number of people filling the room. Opposite the crowd and the viewer, in contrast, behind the counter stands a lonely barmaid, absorbed in her own thoughts. One of the researchers of Manet’s work notes that the oranges in the painting are direct evidence that we're talking about about a prostitute. The date and signature of Manet himself is displayed on the label of one of the bottles, which is in the lower left corner.

Professionals call Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies” series nothing more than “ Sistine Chapel impressionism". The cycle consists of approximately 250 paintings that were created by the artist during the last thirty years of his life on the site of his house in Giverny. Today they are exhibited in museums around the world. It is amazing that Monet wrote most of them when he suffered from cataracts and lost his left lens.

Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1876

The famous masterpiece of impressionism is often characterized by art historians as “the most beautiful artistic canvas of the 19th century.” The painting depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at the Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre. Under open air Renoir painted a dance floor and a cafe near his home - the artist liked to watch happy, graceful couples. For him it was an ideal environment for creativity. “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette” is a skillful group portrait, still life and landscape at the same time. In addition, this is Renoir’s most ambitious work: never before had the artist depicted aspects Everyday life on a canvas of this scale - 131x175 cm. The smaller version of the painting is among the ten most expensive works of art sold.

Impression. Rising Sun, Claude Monet, 1872

An iconic painting that gave its name to the entire artistic movement (from the French impression - “impression”) and became its quintessence. Initially, the canvas created by Monet in the port of Le Havre was torn to smithereens by critics, and the term “impressionism” arose in a satirical review by journalist Louis Leroy, who wrote: “Wallpaper, even those would have looked finished, not like this “Impression”!” An interesting detail: if you make a black and white copy of this piece, the sun will disappear almost completely.

Luncheon on the Grass, Edouard Manet, 1862-1863

The scene, depicting a naked woman having lunch with two fully clothed men, was initially considered an insult - the artist was accused of decadence and bad taste. The film was not allowed to participate in the Paris Salon. It was truly a bold statement in favor of the artist's personal freedom.

Parisian street on a rainy day, Gustave Caillebotte, 1877

It is considered one of the most celebrated works about city life in the 19th century. The painting depicts Dublin Square near its intersection with Moscow Street near the Paris Saint-Lazare train station. The lantern pole and the horizon line seem to divide the picture into four quadrants. All the people here are moving in different directions, as if emphasizing their impersonality, isolation, loneliness in a developing city. In addition, Caillebotte masterfully conveys the feeling of rain with the help of lighting and the absence of strong shadows on the street.

Luncheon of the Rowers, Pierre Auguste Renoir

Luncheon of the Rowers, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1880-1881

Romanticized portrait of Renoir's friends enjoying an evening on a balcony along the Seine River. Among the people in the picture you can see future wife author (model Alina Sharigo - lady with a dog), and another famous impressionist - Gustave Caillebotte (on the right in a straw hat). The painting represents the changing nature of French society at the end of the 19th century as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

Pont Boieldieu in Rouen on a rainy day, Camille Pizarro, 1896

This famous painting Degas is an artistic representation of social isolation in Paris during a period of rapid growth. The painting depicts a woman who indifferently looks at the glass of absinthe in front of her, and clearly not the first. Next to her sits a man who looks like an alcoholic. In fact, the roles of the “humiliated and insulted” characters were played by the artist Marcelin Deboutin and the actress Ellen Andre. At first, critics were shocked by the atmosphere of degradation and decadence that reigned on the canvas. And some saw this as a warning against excessive alcohol consumption.

Parquet workers, Gustave Caillebotte, 1875

One of the first paintings depicting the urban working class. Caillebotte illustrates an abiding interest in everyday life. Notice how accurately the artist captured the light coming through the window and the shadows. The painting is as realistic as a photograph, but nevertheless was rejected by the most prestigious art exhibitions and salons: depictions of half-naked working-class men were considered "vulgar subject matter".

European art of the late 19th century was enriched by the emergence of modernism. Its influence later spread to music and literature. It was called “impressionism” because it was based on the artist’s subtlest impressions, images and moods.

Origins and history

Several young artists formed a group in the second half of the 19th century. They had a common goal and the same interests. The main thing for this company was to work in nature, without workshop walls and various limiting factors. In their paintings they sought to convey all the sensuality, the impression of the play of light and shadow. Landscapes and portraits reflected the unity of the soul with the Universe, with the surrounding world. Their paintings are true poetry of colors.

In 1874, an exhibition of this group of artists was held. Landscape by Claude Monet “Impression. Sunrise” caught the eye of the critic, who in his review for the first time called these creators impressionists (from the French impression - “impression”).

The prerequisites for the birth of the style of impressionism, the paintings of whose representatives would soon become incredible success, steel works of the Renaissance. The work of the Spaniards Velazquez, El Greco, the English Turner, Constable unconditionally influenced the French, who were the founders of impressionism.

Prominent representatives of the style in France were Pissarro, Manet, Degas, Sisley, Cézanne, Monet, Renoir and others.

Philosophy of impressionism in painting

The artists who painted in this style did not set themselves the task of attracting public attention to troubles. In their works one cannot find subjects on the topic of the day; one cannot receive a moral lesson or notice human contradictions.

Paintings in the impressionist style are aimed at conveying a momentary mood, developing color schemes of a mysterious nature. There is only room for a positive beginning in the works; gloominess avoided the impressionists.

In fact, the impressionists did not bother themselves with thinking through the plot and details. The most important factor was not what to draw, but how to depict and convey your mood.

Painting technique

The difference between the academic style of drawing and the technique of the impressionists is colossal. They simply abandoned many methods, and changed some beyond recognition. Here are the innovations they introduced:

1. We abandoned the circuit. It was replaced with strokes - small and contrasting.
2. We stopped using palettes for colors that complement each other and do not require merging to achieve a certain effect. For example, yellow is purple.
3. Stopped painting in black.
4. They completely abandoned work in workshops. They painted exclusively on location, to make it easier to capture a moment, an image, a feeling.
5. Only paints with good covering power were used.
6. We didn’t wait for the new layer to dry. Fresh strokes were applied immediately.
7. They created cycles of works to follow changes in light and shadow. For example, “Haystacks” by Claude Monet.

Of course, not all artists followed the exact features of the Impressionist style. Paintings by Édouard Manet, for example, never participated in joint exhibitions, and he positioned himself as a separate standing artist. Edgar Degas worked only in workshops, but this did not harm the quality of his works.

Representatives of French Impressionism

The first exhibition of Impressionist works dates back to 1874. 12 years later, their last exhibition took place. The first work in this style can be called “Lunch on the Grass” by E. Manet. This painting was presented in the "Salon of the Rejected". It was met with hostility because it was very different from the academic canons. That is why Manet becomes a figure around whom a circle of followers of this stylistic movement gathers.

Unfortunately, contemporaries did not appreciate such a style as impressionism. Paintings and artists existed in disagreement with official art.

Gradually, Claude Monet came to the fore in the group of painters, who would later become their leader and the main ideologist of impressionism.

Claude Monet (1840—1926)

The work of this artist can be described as a hymn to impressionism. It was he who was the first to abandon the use of black in his paintings, citing the fact that even shadows and night have different tones.

The world in Monet’s paintings is unclear outlines, spacious strokes, looking at which you can feel the whole spectrum of the play of colors of day and night, seasons, and the harmony of the sublunary world. Just a moment that was snatched from the flow of life, in Monet’s understanding, is impressionism. His paintings seem to have no materiality; they are all saturated with rays of light and air currents.

were created by Claude Monet amazing work: “Gare Saint-Lazare”, “Rouen Cathedral”, the “Charing Cross Bridge” series and many others.

Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Renoir's creations create the impression of extraordinary lightness, airiness, and ethereality. The plot was born as if by chance, but it is known that the artist carefully thought through all stages of his work and worked from morning to night.

A distinctive feature of O. Renoir's work is the use of glaze, which is only possible when painting. Impressionism in the artist's works is manifested in every stroke. He perceives a person as a particle of nature itself, which is why there are so many paintings with nudes.

Renoir's favorite pastime was depicting a woman in all her attractive and attractive beauty. Portraits occupy special place V creative life artist. “Umbrellas”, “Girl with a Fan”, “Breakfast of the Rowers” ​​are only a small part of the amazing collection of paintings by Auguste Renoir.

Georges Seurat (1859-1891)

Seurat associated the process of creating paintings with the scientific substantiation of color theory. The light-air environment was drawn based on the dependence of the main and additional tones.

Despite the fact that J. Seurat is a representative of the final stage of impressionism, and his technique is in many ways different from the founders, he, in the same way, creates with the help of strokes an illusory representation of an object form, which can be viewed and seen only from a distance.

The paintings “Sunday Afternoon”, “Cancan”, “Models” can be called masterpieces of creativity.

Representatives of Russian impressionism

Russian impressionism arose almost spontaneously, mixing many phenomena and methods. However, the basis, like the French, was a natural vision of the process.

In Russian impressionism, although the features of the French were preserved, the peculiarities of national nature and state of mind made significant changes. For example, visions of snow or northern landscapes were expressed using unusual techniques.

In Russia, few artists worked in the impressionist style; their paintings still attract attention to this day.

The impressionistic period can be distinguished in the work of Valentin Serov. His "Girl with Peaches" - the clearest example and the standard of this style in Russia.

The paintings captivate with their freshness and harmony of pure colors. The main topic The work of this artist is the image of a person in nature. “Northern Idyll”, “In a Boat”, “Fedor Chaliapin” are bright milestones in K. Korovin’s work.

Impressionism in modern times

Currently, this direction in art has received new life. Several artists paint their paintings in this style. Modern impressionism exists in Russia (Andre Cohn), in France (Laurent Parselier), in America (Diana Leonard).

Andre Cohn is the most a prominent representative new impressionism. His oil paintings are striking in their simplicity. The artist sees beauty in everyday things. The creator interprets many objects through the prism of movement.

The whole world knows Laurent Parselier's watercolor works. His series of works Strange world"was released in the form of postcards. Magnificent, vibrant and sensual, they will take your breath away.

As in the 19th century, in currently artists remain plein air painting. Thanks to her, impressionism will live forever. artists continue to be inspired, impressed and encouraged.

Impressionism is a movement in painting that originated in France in XIX-XX centuries, which is artistic attempt to capture some moment of life in all its variability and mobility. Impressionist paintings are like a well-washed photograph, reviving in fantasy the continuation of the story seen. In this article we will look at the 10 most famous impressionists in the world. Fortunately, talented artists much more than ten, twenty or even a hundred, so let's focus on those names that you definitely need to know.

In order not to offend either the artists or their admirers, the list is given in Russian alphabetical order.

1. Alfred Sisley

This French painter English origin considered the most famous landscape painter second half of the 19th century century. His collection contains more than 900 paintings, of which the most famous are “Rural Alley”, “Frost in Louveciennes”, “Bridge in Argenteuil”, “Early Snow in Louveciennes”, “Lawns in Spring”, and many others.

2. Van Gogh

Known around the world sad story about his ear (by the way, he did not cut off his entire ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gon became popular only after his death. And during his life he was able to sell one single painting, 4 months before his death. They say he was both an entrepreneur and a priest, but often ended up in psychiatric hospitals due to depression, so all the rebellion of his existence resulted in legendary works.

3. Camille Pissarro

Pissarro was born on the island of St. Thomas, into a family of bourgeois Jews, and was one of the few impressionists whose parents encouraged his passion and soon sent him to Paris to study. Most of all, the artist liked nature, he depicted it in all colors, and to be more precise, Pissarro had a special talent for selecting the softness of colors, compatibility, after which air seemed to appear in the paintings.

4. Claude Monet

Since childhood, the boy decided that he would become an artist, despite family prohibitions. Having moved to Paris on his own, Claude Monet plunged into the gray everyday life of a hard life: two years of service in the armed forces in Algeria, litigation with creditors due to poverty and illness. However, one gets the feeling that the difficulties did not oppress, but, on the contrary, inspired the artist to create such bright pictures, like “Impression, Sunrise”, “Houses of Parliament in London”, “Bridge to Europe”, “Autumn in Argenteuil”, “On the Shores of Trouville”, and many others.

5. Konstantin Korovin

It's nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, we can proudly place our compatriot, Konstantin Korovin. A passionate love for nature helped him intuitively give unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the connection suitable colors, width of strokes, choice of theme. It is impossible to pass by his paintings “Pier in Gurzuf”, “Fish, Wine and Fruit”, “ Autumn landscape», « Moonlight night. Winter" and a series of his works dedicated to Paris.

6. Paul Gauguin

Until the age of 26, Paul Gauguin did not even think about painting. He was an entrepreneur and had a large family. However, when I first saw the paintings of Camille Pissarro, I decided that I would definitely start painting. Over time, the artist’s style changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are “Garden in the Snow”, “At the Cliff”, “On the Beach in Dieppe”, “Nude”, “Palm Trees in Martinique” and others.

7. Paul Cezanne

Cezanne, unlike most of his colleagues, became famous during his lifetime. He managed to organize his own exhibition and earn considerable income from it. People knew a lot about his paintings - he, like no one else, learned to combine the play of light and shadow, placed a strong emphasis on regular and irregular geometric shapes, the severity of the theme of his paintings was in harmony with romance.

8. Pierre Auguste Renoir

Until the age of 20, Renoir worked as a fan decorator for his older brother, and only then moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the path of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of sentimental portraits, among his most outstanding works are “On the Terrace”, “A Walk”, “Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary”, “The Lodge”, “Alfred Sisley and His Wife”, “On the Swing”, “Splash Pool” and a lot others.

9. Edgar Degas

If you haven't heard of Blue Dancers, Ballet Rehearsal, Ballet school" and "Absinthe" - hurry up to learn about the work of Edgar Degas. The selection of original colors, unique themes for paintings, a sense of movement of the picture - all this and much more made Degas one of the most famous artists peace.

10. Edouard Manet

Don't confuse Manet with Monet - they are two different people, who worked at the same time and in the same artistic direction. Manet was always attracted to scenes of everyday life, unusual appearances and types, as if accidentally “caught” moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among famous paintings Manet: “Olympia”, “Luncheon on the Grass”, “Bar at the Folies Bergere”, “The Flutist”, “Nana” and others.

If you have even the slightest opportunity to see the paintings of these masters live, you will forever fall in love with impressionism!

Impressionism (impressionnisme) is a style of painting that appeared at the end of the 19th century in France and then spread throughout the world. The very idea of ​​impressionism lies in its name: impression - impression. Artists who are tired of traditional techniques Academic paintings, which, in their opinion, did not convey all the beauty and liveliness of the world, began to use completely new techniques and methods of depiction, which were supposed to express in the most accessible form not a “photographic” appearance, but rather the impression of what was seen. In his painting, the impressionist artist, using the nature of the strokes and color palette, tries to convey the atmosphere, warmth or cold, strong wind or peaceful silence, a foggy rainy morning or a bright sunny afternoon, as well as your personal experiences from what you saw.

Impressionism is a world of feelings, emotions and fleeting impressions. What is valued here is not external realism or naturalness, but rather the realism of the expressed sensations, the internal state of the picture, its atmosphere, and depth. Initially this style came under strong criticism. The first Impressionist paintings were exhibited at the Parisian “Salon of Les Misérables,” where works by artists rejected by the official Paris Salon of Arts were exhibited. The term “impressionism” was first used by critic Louis Leroy, who wrote a disparaging review in the magazine “Le Charivari” about an exhibition of artists. As the basis for the term, he took Claude Monet’s painting “Impression. Rising Sun". He called all the artists impressionists, which can be roughly translated as “impressionists.” At first, the paintings were indeed criticized, but soon more and more fans of the new art direction began to come to the salon, and the genre itself turned from a rejected one to a recognized one.

It is worth noting that the artists late XIX centuries in France they did not come up with a new style out of nowhere. They took as a basis the techniques of painters of the past, including artists of the Renaissance. Painters such as El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Rubens, Turner and others, long before the emergence of impressionism, tried to convey the mood of a picture, the liveliness of nature, the special expressiveness of the weather with the help of various intermediate tones, bright or, on the contrary, dull strokes that looked like abstract things. They used it quite sparingly in their paintings, so unusual technique did not catch the viewer's eye. The Impressionists decided to take these image methods as the basis for their works.

Another specific feature of the works of the impressionists is a certain superficial everydayness, which, however, contains incredible depth. They do not try to express any deep philosophical themes, mythological or religious problems, historical and important events. The paintings of artists of this movement are inherently simple and everyday - landscapes, still lifes, people walking down the street or going about their normal business, and so on. It is precisely such moments, where there is no excessive thematic content that distracts a person, that feelings and emotions from what they see come to the fore. Also the Impressionists, according to at least at the beginning of its existence, they did not depict “heavy” topics - poverty, wars, tragedies, suffering, and so on. Impressionist paintings are most often the most positive and joyful works, where there is a lot of light, bright colors, smoothed light and shade, smooth contrasts. Impressionism is a pleasant impression, joy from life, the beauty of every moment, pleasure, purity, sincerity.

The most famous impressionists became such great artists as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro and many others.

Don't know where to buy a real jaw's harp? Most big choice you can find it on the website khomus.ru. Wide range of ethnic musical instruments in Moscow.

Alfred Sisley - Lawns in Spring

Camille Pissarro - Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny.

“The new world was born when the impressionists painted it”

Henri Kahnweiler

19th century. France. Something unprecedented happened in painting. A group of young artists decided to shake 500-year-old traditions. Instead of a clear drawing, they used a wide, “sloppy” stroke.

And they completely abandoned the usual images. Portraying everyone. And ladies of easy virtue, and gentlemen of dubious reputation.

The public was not ready for impressionist painting. They were ridiculed and scolded. And most importantly, they didn’t buy anything from them.

But the resistance was broken. And some of the impressionists lived to see their triumph. True, they were already over 40. Like Claude Monet or Auguste Renoir. Some waited for recognition only at the end of their lives, like Camille Pissarro. Some did not live to see him, like Alfred Sisley.

What revolutionary did each of them accomplish? Why did the public take so long to accept them? Here are the 7 most famous French impressionists. Which the whole world knows.

1. Edouard Manet (1832 – 1883)

Manet was older than most of the Impressionists. He was their main inspiration for change.

Manet himself did not claim to be the leader of the revolutionaries. He was a secular man. I dreamed of official awards.

But he waited a very long time for recognition. The public wanted to see greek goddesses. Or still lifes at worst. To look beautiful in the dining room. Manet wanted to write modern life. For example, courtesans.

The result was “Breakfast on the Grass.” Two dandies are relaxing in the company of ladies of easy virtue. One of them, as if nothing had happened, sits next to the dressed men.

Compare his Luncheon on the Grass with Thomas Couture's Romans in Decline. Couture's painting created a sensation. The artist instantly became famous.

“Breakfast on the Grass” was accused of vulgarity. Pregnant women were seriously not recommended to look at it.

In Couture's painting we see all the attributes of academicism (traditional painting of the 16th-19th centuries). Columns and statues. People of Apollonian appearance. Traditional muted colors. Manners of poses and gestures. A plot from the distant life of a completely different people.

“Breakfast on the Grass” by Manet is of a different format. Before him, no one had depicted courtesans so easily. Close to respectable citizens. Although many men of that time spent their leisure time this way. Real life real people.

Once I wrote to a respectable lady. Ugly. He couldn't flatter her with a brush. The lady was disappointed. She left him in tears.

So he continued to experiment. For example, with color. He did not try to depict the so-called natural color. If he saw gray-brown water as bright blue, then he depicted it as bright blue.

This, of course, irritated the audience. After all, even the Mediterranean Sea cannot boast of being as blue as Manet’s water, they quipped.

But the fact remains a fact. Manet radically changed the purpose of painting. The painting became the embodiment of the artist’s individuality. Who writes as he pleases. Forgetting about patterns and traditions.

All innovations did not forgive him for a long time. He received recognition only at the end of his life. When he no longer needed it. He was dying painfully from an incurable disease.

2. Claude Monet (1840 – 1926)

Claude Monet can be called a Christian impressionist. Since he was faithful to this direction all his long life.

He painted not objects and people, but a single color construction of highlights and spots. Separate strokes. Air tremors.

Monet painted not only nature. He was also good at city landscapes. One of the most famous - .

There is a lot of photography in this picture. For example, motion is conveyed through a blurred image.

Notice how the distant trees and figures seem to be in a haze.

Before us is a frozen moment in the bustling life of Paris. No staging. Nobody is posing. People are depicted as a collection of brush strokes. Such lack of plot and “freeze-frame” effect - main feature impressionism.

By the mid-80s, artists became disillusioned with impressionism. Aesthetics are, of course, good. But the lack of plot depressed many.

Only Monet continued to persist. Exaggerating impressionism. Which grew into a series of paintings.

He depicted the same landscape dozens of times. IN different time days. At different times of the year. To show how temperature and light can change the same species beyond recognition.

Thus, countless haystacks appeared.

Paintings by Claude Monet at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Left: Haystacks at sunset in Giverny, 1891. Right: Haystack (snow effect), 1891.

Please note that the shadows in these paintings are colored. And not gray or black, as was customary before the Impressionists. This is another feature of theirs.

Monet managed to enjoy success and material well-being. After 40, he already forgot about poverty. He acquired a house and a beautiful garden. And he created for his own pleasure long years.

About herself iconic painting read the master in the article

3. Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919)

Impressionism is the most positive painting. And the most positive among the impressionists was Renoir.

You won't find drama in his paintings. Even black paint he didn't use it. Only the joy of being. Even the most banal things in Renoir look beautiful.

Unlike Monet, Renoir painted people more often. Landscapes were less important to him. In his paintings his friends and acquaintances are relaxing and enjoying life.

You won't find any profundity in Renoir. He was very happy to join the Impressionists. Who completely refused the plots.

As he himself said, he finally has the opportunity to write flowers and call them simply “Flowers.” And don’t invent any stories about them.

Renoir felt best in the company of women. He asked his maids to sing and joke. The stupider and more naive the song was, the better for him. And men's chatter tired him. It's no surprise that Renoir is famous for his nudes.

The model in the painting “Nude in sunlight” seems to appear against a colorful abstract background. Because for Renoir nothing is secondary. The model's eye or a section of the background are equivalent.

Renoir lived a long life. And I never put down my brush and palette. Even when his hands were completely shackled by rheumatism, he tied the brush to his hand with a rope. And he drew.

Like Monet, he waited for recognition after 40 years. And I saw my paintings in the Louvre, next to my works famous masters.

Read about one of the most charming portraits of Renoir in the article

4. Edgar Degas (1834 – 1917)

Degas was not a classical impressionist. He did not like working plein air (open air). You won’t find a deliberately lightened palette with him.

On the contrary, he loved a clear line. He has plenty of black. And he worked exclusively in the studio.

But still he is always put in a row with other great impressionists. Because he was an impressionist of gesture.

Unexpected angles. Asymmetry in the arrangement of objects. Characters taken by surprise. All these are the main attributes of his paintings.

He stopped a moment of life, not allowing him to come to his senses. Just look at his “Opera Orchestra”.

In the foreground is the back of a chair. The musician's back is to us. And on background the ballerinas on stage did not fit into the “frame”. Their heads are mercilessly “cut off” by the edge of the picture.

That’s why his favorite dancers are not always depicted in beautiful poses. Sometimes they just do stretching.

But such improvisation is imaginary. Of course, Degas carefully thought through the composition. This is just a freeze frame effect, not a real freeze frame.

Edgar Degas loved to paint women. But illness or characteristics of the body did not allow him to have physical contact with them. He has never been married. No one had ever seen him with a woman.

The absence of real subjects in his personal life added a subtle and intense eroticism to his images.

Please note that in the painting “Ballet Star” only the ballerina herself is depicted. Her colleagues behind the scenes are barely visible. Just a few legs.

This does not mean that Degas did not complete the painting. This is the reception. Keep only the most important things in focus. Make the rest disappear, illegible.

Read about other paintings by the master in the article

5. Berthe Morisot (1841 – 1895)

Berthe Morisot is rarely placed in the first row with the great Impressionists. I'm sure it's not deserved. It is in her work that you will find all the main features and techniques of impressionism. And if you like impressionism, you will love her work with all your heart.

Morisot worked quickly and impetuously. Transferring your impression to canvas. The figures seem to be about to dissolve into space.

Like Degas, she often left some details unfinished. And even parts of the model's body. We cannot distinguish the hands of the girl in the painting “Summer”.

Morisot's path to self-expression was difficult. Not only did she engage in “careless” painting. She was still a woman. In those days, a woman was supposed to dream of getting married. After which any hobbies were forgotten.

Therefore, Bertha refused marriage for a long time. Until she found a man who respected her occupation. Eugene Manet was the brother of the artist Edouard Manet. He dutifully yearned for his wife's easel and paints.

But still it was in the 19th century. No, I didn’t wear Morisot trousers. But she could not afford complete freedom of movement.

She couldn't go to the park to work alone. Unaccompanied by someone close to you. I couldn’t sit alone in a cafe. Therefore, her paintings are of people from the family circle. Husband, daughter, relatives.

Morisot did not wait for recognition. She died at the age of 54 from pneumonia. Without selling almost any of his work during his lifetime. On her death certificate, there was a dash in the “occupation” column. It was unthinkable for a woman to be called an artist. Even if she actually was.

Read about the master’s paintings in the article

6. Camille Pissarro (1830 – 1903)

Camille Pissarro. Non-conflict, reasonable. Many perceived him as a teacher. Even the most temperamental colleagues did not speak badly of Pissarro.

He was a faithful follower of impressionism. In great need, with five children and a wife, he still worked hard in the same style. And I never switched to salon painting. To become more popular. It is not known where he got the strength to fully believe in himself.

In order not to die of hunger at all, Pissarro painted fans. Which were eagerly bought up. But real recognition came to him after 60 years! When he was finally able to forget about his need.

The air in Pissarro's paintings is thick and dense. An extraordinary fusion of color and volume.

The artist was not afraid to paint the most changeable natural phenomena. Which will appear for a moment and disappear. First snow, frosty sun, long shadows.

His most famous works are views of Paris. With wide boulevards, a bustling and colorful crowd. At night, during the day, in different weather. In some ways echoing the series of paintings by Claude Monet.