School encyclopedia. Impressionism style: paintings by famous artists Hood Impressionists

For me, the impressionism style is, first of all, something airy, ephemeral, inexorably elusive. This is that stunning moment that the eye barely has time to capture and which then remains in the memory for a long time as a moment of highest harmony. The masters of impressionism were famous for their ability to easily transfer this moment of beauty onto canvas, endowing it with tangible sensations and subtle vibrations that, with all reality, arise when interacting with a painting. When you look at the works of outstanding artists of this style, there is always a certain aftertaste of mood.

Impressionism(from impression - impression) is an art movement that originated in France in the late 1860s. Its representatives sought to capture the most natural and unbiased real world in its mobility and variability, to convey your fleeting impressions. Particular attention was paid to the transmission of color and light.

The word "impressionism" comes from the title of Monet's painting Impression. Sunrise, presented at the 1874 exhibition. The little-known journalist Louis Leroy in his magazine article called the artists “impressionists” to express his disdain. However, the name stuck and lost its original negative meaning.

The first important exhibition of the Impressionists took place from April 15 to May 15, 1874 in the studio of the photographer Nadar. 30 artists were presented there, with a total of 165 works. Young artists were reproached for “unfinished” and “sloppy painting,” lack of taste and meaning in their work, “an attack on true art,” rebellious sentiments and even immorality.

Leading representatives of impressionism are Alfred Sisley and Frederic Bazille. Edouard Manet and Eduard Manet exhibited their paintings with them. Joaquin Sorolla is also considered an impressionist.

Landscapes and scenes from city life are perhaps the most characteristic genres impressionistic painting - painted “in the open air”, i.e. directly from nature, and not on the basis of sketches and preparatory sketches. Impressionists looked closely at nature, noticing colors and shades usually invisible, such as blue in the shadows.

Their artistic method consisted of decomposing complex tones into their constituent pure colors of the spectrum. The results were colored shadows and pure, light, vibrant painting. The Impressionists applied paint in separate strokes, sometimes using contrasting tones in one area of ​​the painting. The main feature of impressionist paintings is the effect of living flickering of colors.

To convey changes in the color of an object, the impressionists began to prefer to use colors that mutually reinforce each other: red and green, yellow and purple, orange and blue. These same colors create the effect of consistent contrast. For example, if we look at red for a while and then move our gaze to white, it will appear greenish to us.

Impressionism did not raise philosophical problems and did not even try to penetrate under the colored surface of everyday life. Instead, artists focus on superficiality, the fluidity of a moment, mood, lighting or angle of view. Their paintings presented only the positive aspects of life, without touching on acute social problems.

Artists often painted people in motion, while having fun or relaxing. Subjects of flirting, dancing, being in a cafe and theater, boating, on beaches and in gardens were taken. Judging by the paintings of the Impressionists, life is a continuous series of small holidays, parties, pleasant pastimes outside the city or in a friendly environment.

Impressionism left rich heritage in painting. First of all, this is an interest in color problems and non-standard techniques. Impressionism expressed the desire for renewal artistic language and a break with tradition, as a protest against the painstaking technique of the masters classical school. Well, you and I can now admire these magnificent works outstanding artists.

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. IN this style several artists paint their own paintings. Modern impressionism exists in Russia (Andre Cohn), in France (Laurent Parselier), in America (Diana Leonard).

Andre Cohn is the most 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 an artistic movement that emerged in the 70s. 19th century French painting, and then manifested itself in music, literature, theater.

Impressionism in painting began to take shape long before the famous exhibition of 1874. Edouard Manet is traditionally considered the founder of the Impressionists. He was very inspired by the classical works of Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Velazquez. Manet expressed his vision of the images on his canvases, adding “vibrating” strokes that created the effect of incompleteness. In 1863, Manet created Olympia, which caused big scandal in a cultural society.

At first glance, the picture was made in line with traditional canons, but at the same time it already carried innovative trends. About 87 reviews were written about Olympia in various Parisian publications. She was hit with a lot of negative criticism - the artist was accused of vulgarity. And only a few articles could be called favorable.

Manet used a single-layer paint technique in his work, which created a stained effect. Subsequently, this technique of applying paint was adopted by impressionist artists as the basis for images on paintings.

A distinctive feature of impressionism was the subtlest recording of fleeting impressions, in a special manner of reproducing the light environment with the help of a complex mosaic of pure colors and cursory decorative strokes.

It is curious that at the beginning of their search, the artists used a cyanometer - an instrument for determining the blueness of the sky. Black color was excluded from the palette, it was replaced with other color shades, which made it possible not to spoil the sunny mood of the paintings.

The Impressionists were guided by the latest scientific discoveries of their time. The color theory of Chevreul and Helmholtz boils down to the following: a ray of sunlight is split into its component colors, and, accordingly, two paints placed on the canvas enhance the pictorial effect, and when mixed the paints lose intensity.

The aesthetics of impressionism developed, in part, as an attempt to decisively free ourselves from the conventions of classicism in art, as well as from the persistent symbolism and profundity of late romantic painting, which invited everyone to see encrypted plans that needed careful interpretation. Impressionism asserted not just the beauty of everyday reality, but the capture of a colorful atmosphere, without detailing or interpreting, depicting the world as an ever-changing optical phenomenon.

Impressionist artists developed a complete plein air system. The predecessors of this stylistic feature there were landscape painters who came from the Barbizon school, the main representatives of which were Camille Corot and John Constable.

Working in an open space provided more opportunity to capture the slightest color changes in different time days.

Claude Monet created several series of paintings on the same subject, for example, “Rouen Cathedral” (a series of 50 paintings), “Haystacks” (a series of 15 paintings), “Pond with Water Lilies”, etc. The main indicator of these series there was a change in light and color in the image of the same object painted at different times of the day.

Another achievement of impressionism is the development of an original painting system, where complex tones are decomposed into pure colors conveyed by individual strokes. The artists did not mix colors on the palette, but preferred to apply strokes directly to the canvas. This technique gave the paintings a special trepidation, variability and relief. The artists' works were filled with color and light.

The exhibition on April 15, 1874 in Paris was the result of the period of formation and presentation of a new movement to the general public. The exhibition took place in the studio of photographer Felix Nadar on the Boulevard des Capucines.

The name “Impressionism” arose after an exhibition at which Monet’s painting “Impression” was exhibited. Sunrise". The critic L. Leroy, in his review in the publication Charivari, gave a humorous description of the exhibition of 1874, citing the example of the work of Monet. Another critic, Maurice Denis, reproached the Impressionists for their lack of individuality, feeling, and poetry.

At the first exhibition, about 30 artists showed their works. This was the largest number in comparison with subsequent exhibitions until 1886.

One cannot help but mention the positive feedback from Russian society. Russian artists and democratic critics, always keenly interested artistic life France - I. V. Kramskoy, I. E. Repin and V. V. Stasov - highly appreciated the achievements of the impressionists from the very first exhibition.

The new stage in the history of art, which began with the exhibition of 1874, was not a sudden explosion of revolutionary tendencies - it was the culmination of a slow and gradual development.

While all the great masters of the past contributed to the development of the principles of Impressionism, the immediate roots of the movement can most easily be discovered in the twenty years preceding the historical exhibition.

In parallel with the exhibitions at the Salon, Impressionist exhibitions were gaining momentum. Their works demonstrated new trends in painting. This was a reproach to salon culture and exhibition traditions. Subsequently, impressionist artists managed to attract admirers of new trends in art to their side.

Theoretical knowledge and formulations of impressionism began to develop quite late. Artists preferred more practice and their own experiments with light and color. In impressionism, primarily pictorial, the legacy of realism can be traced; it clearly expresses the anti-academic, anti-salon orientation and installation of depicting the surrounding reality of that time. Some researchers note that impressionism has become a special branch of realism.

Undoubtedly, in impressionistic art, as in every artistic movement that arises during a period of turning point and crisis of old traditions, various and even contradictory trends were intertwined, despite all its external integrity.

The fundamental features were the themes of the artists’ works, the means artistic expression. Irina Vladimirova’s book about the impressionists includes several chapters: “Landscape, nature, impressions”, “City, places of meetings and partings”, “Hobbies as a way of life”, “People and characters”, “Portraits and self-portraits”, “Still life”. It also describes the creation history and location of each work.

During the heyday of impressionism, artists found a harmonious balance between objective reality and its perception. The artists tried to capture every ray of light, the movement of the breeze, and the changeability of nature. To preserve the freshness of their paintings, the Impressionists created an original painting system, which later turned out to be very important for the further development of art. Despite the general trends in painting, each artist found his own creative path and main genres in painting.

Classical impressionism is represented by such artists as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, Jean Frédéric Bazille, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas.

Let's consider the contribution of some artists to the development of impressionism.

Edouard Manet (1832-1883)

Manet received his first painting lessons from T. Couture, thanks to this future artist acquired a lot of necessary professional skills. Due to the lack of proper attention from the teacher to his students, Manet leaves the master’s atelier and engages in self-education. He attends exhibitions in museums; his creative formation was greatly influenced by the old masters, especially Spanish ones.

In the 1860s, Manet wrote two works in which the basic principles of his artistic style are visible. Lola of Valencia (1862) and The Flutist (1866) show Manet as an artist who reveals the character of his subject through the rendering of color.

His ideas on brushstrokes and his approach to color were adopted by other Impressionist artists. In the 1870s, Manet became closer to his followers and worked plein air without black on the palette. The arrival to impressionism was the result of the creative evolution of Manet himself. Manet's most impressionistic paintings are “In a Boat” (1874) and “Claude Monet in a Boat” (1874).

Manet also painted many portraits of various society ladies, actresses, models, beautiful women. Each portrait conveyed the uniqueness and individuality of the model.

Shortly before his death, Manet painted one of his masterpieces - “Bar Folies-Bergère” (1881-1882). This painting combines several genres: portrait, still life, everyday scene.

N. N. Kalitina writes: “The magic of Manet’s art is such that the girl confronts her surroundings, thanks to which her mood is so clearly revealed, and at the same time is a part, for the entire background, vaguely discernible, vague, worrying, is also resolved in blue-black , bluish-white, yellow tones.”

Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Claude Monet was the undoubted leader and founder of classical impressionism. The main genre of his painting was landscape.

In his youth, Monet was fond of caricature and caricature. The first models for his works were his teachers and comrades. He used cartoons in newspapers and magazines as a model. He copied the drawings in Gaulois by E. Carge, a poet and caricaturist and friend of Gustave Coubret.

At college, Monet's painting was taught by Jacques-François Hauchard. But it is fair to note the influence on Monet of Boudin, who supported the artist, gave him advice, and motivated him to continue his work.

In November 1862, Monet continued his studies in Paris with Gleyre. Thanks to this, Monet met Basil, Renoir, and Sisley in his studio. Young artists were preparing to enter the School fine arts, respecting his teacher, who charged little for his lessons and gave advice in a gentle manner.

Monet created his paintings not as a story, not as an illustration of an idea or theme. His painting, like life, had no clear goals. He saw the world without focusing on details, on some principles, he went towards a “landscape vision” (the term of the art historian A. A. Fedorov-Davydov). Monet strove for plotlessness and a fusion of genres on canvas. The means of implementing his innovations were sketches, which were supposed to become finished paintings. All sketches were drawn from life.

He painted meadows, hills, flowers, rocks, gardens, village streets, the sea, beaches and much more; he turned to depicting nature at different times of the day. He often painted the same place at different times, thereby creating entire cycles from his works. The principle of his work was not the depiction of objects in the picture, but the accurate transmission of light.

Here are a few examples of the artist’s works - “Poppy Field at Argenteuil” (1873), “Splash Pool” (1869), “Pond with Water Lilies” (1899), “Wheat Stacks” (1891).

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Renoir refers to outstanding masters secular portrait; in addition, he worked in the genres of landscape, everyday scenes, and still life.

The peculiarity of his work is his interest in the personality of a person, the revelation of his character and soul. In his canvases, Renoir tries to emphasize the feeling of the fullness of existence. The artist is attracted to entertainment and celebrations; he paints balls, walks with their movement and variety of characters, and dances.

The most famous works artist - “Portrait of the actress Jeanne Samary”, “Umbrellas”, “Bathing in the Seine”, etc.

It is interesting that Renoir was distinguished by his musicality and as a child sang in a church choir under the leadership of the outstanding composer and teacher Charles Gounod in Paris at the Saint-Eustache Cathedral. C. Gounod strongly recommended that the boy study music. But at the same time, Renoir discovered in himself artistic talent- from the age of 13 he already learned to paint porcelain dishes.

Music lessons influenced the development of the artist’s personality. A number of his works are related to musical themes. They reflect the playing of piano, guitar, and mandolin. These are the paintings “Guitar Lesson”, “Young Spanish Woman with a Guitar”, “Young Lady at the Piano”, “Woman Playing the Guitar”, “Piano Lesson”, etc.

Jean Frédéric Bazille (1841-1870)

According to his artist friends, Basil was the most promising and outstanding impressionist.

His works are vibrant color scheme and spirituality of images. Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Claude Monet had a great influence on his creative path. Jean Frederic's apartment was a kind of studio and housing for aspiring painters.

Basil primarily painted en plein air. The main idea of ​​his work was the image of man against the backdrop of nature. His first heroes in the paintings were his artist friends; many impressionists were very fond of drawing each other in their works.

Frédéric Bazille, in his creative work, outlined the movement of realistic impressionism. His most famous painting, Family Reunion (1867), is autobiographical. The artist depicts his family members on it. This work was presented at the Salon and received approval from the public.

In 1870, the artist died in the Prussian-French War. After the artist’s death, his artist friends organized a third exhibition of impressionists, where his paintings were also exhibited.

Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)

Camille Pissarro is one of the largest representatives of landscape artists after C. Monet. His works were constantly exhibited in Impressionist exhibitions. In his works, Pissarro preferred to depict plowed fields, peasant life and labor. His paintings were distinguished by their structural forms and clarity of composition.

Later, the artist began to paint paintings on urban themes. N. N. Kalitina notes in her book: “He looks at the city streets from the windows of the upper floors or from the balconies, without introducing them into the composition.”

Under the influence of Georges-Pierre Seurat, the artist took up pointillism. This technique involves applying each stroke separately, as if putting dots. But creative prospects in this area were not realized, and Pissarro returned to impressionism.

Pissarro's most famous paintings were “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny”, “Opera Passage in Paris”, “French Theater Square in Paris”, “Garden in Pontoise”, “Harvest”, “Haymaking”, etc.

Alfred Sisley (1839-1899)

Alfred Sisley's main genre of painting was landscape. In his early works The influence of K. Corot is mainly visible. Gradually, in the process of working together with C. Monet, J. F. Bazille, P. O. Renoir, light colors begin to appear in his works.

The artist is attracted by the play of light, the change in the state of the atmosphere. Sisley turned to the same landscape several times, capturing it at different times of the day. The artist gave priority in his works to images of water and sky, which changed every second. The artist managed to achieve perfection with the help of color; each shade in his works carries a unique symbolism.

His most famous works: “Rural Alley” (1864), “Frost in Louveciennes” (1873), “View of Montmartre from the Flower Island” (1869), “Early Snow in Louveciennes” (1872), “Bridge at Argenteuil” (1872 ).

Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

Edgar Degas is an artist who began his creative career by studying at the School of Fine Arts. He was inspired by the artists of the Italian Renaissance, which influenced his work as a whole. At the beginning Degas wrote historical paintings, for example, “Spartan girls challenge Spartan boys to a competition. (1860). The main genre of his painting is portrait. In his works, the artist relies on classical traditions. He creates works marked by a keen sense of his time.

Unlike his colleagues, Degas does not share the joyful, open view of life and things inherent in impressionism. The artist is closer to the critical tradition of art: compassion for fate common man, the ability to see the souls of people, their inner world, inconsistency, tragedy.

For Degas, objects and interior surrounding a person play a big role in creating a portrait. Here are a few works as examples: “Désirée Dio with Orchestra” (1868-1869), “ Female portrait"(1868), "The Morbilli Couple" (1867), etc.

The principle of portraiture in Degas’s works can be traced throughout his entire creative path. In the 1870s, the artist depicted in full glory the society of France, in particular Paris, in his works. The artist's interests include urban life in motion. “Movement was for him one of the most important manifestations of life, and the ability of art to convey it was the most important achievement modern painting"- writes N.N. Kalitina.

During this period of time, such films as “The Star” (1878), “Miss Lola in Fernando’s Circus”, “Horsing at Epsom”, etc. were created.

A new round of Degas’s creativity was his interest in ballet. It shows the behind-the-scenes life of ballerinas, talks about their hard work and hard training. But, despite this, the artist manages to find airiness and lightness in the rendering of their images.

In the ballet series of paintings by Degas, achievements in the field of transmitting artificial light from the stage are visible; they speak of the artist’s coloristic talent. The most famous paintings"Blue Dancers" (1897), " Dance class"(1874), "Dancer with a Bouquet" (1877), "Dancers in Pink" (1885) and others.

At the end of his life, due to deteriorating eyesight, Degas tried his hand at sculpture. His objects are the same ballerinas, women, horses. In sculpture, Degas tries to convey movement, and in order to appreciate the sculpture, you need to look at it from different angles.

The most typical theme for the Impressionists is landscape, but they also touched on many other themes in their work. Degas, for example, depicted horse races, ballerinas and laundresses, and Renoir depicted charming women and children. In impressionistic landscapes created on outdoors, a simple, everyday motif is often transformed by pervasive moving light, introducing a feeling of festivity into the picture. In certain techniques of impressionistic construction of composition and space, the influence of Japanese engraving and partly photography is noticeable. The Impressionists created a multifaceted painting for the first time Everyday life modern city, captured the originality of its landscape and the appearance of the people inhabiting it, their life, work and entertainment.

The impressionists did not strive to touch upon acute social problems, philosophy or shocking creativity, focusing only on in various ways expressing impressions of the surrounding everyday life. Trying to “see the moment” and reflect the mood.

Name " Impressionism" arose after the 1874 exhibition in Paris, at which Monet's painting "Impression. Rising Sun"(1872; the painting was stolen from the Marmottan Museum in Paris in 1985 and is today listed on Interpol lists).

More than seven Impressionist exhibitions were held between 1876 and 1886; after the completion of the latter, only Monet continued to strictly follow the ideals of Impressionism. “Impressionists” are also called artists outside of France who wrote under the influence of French Impressionism (for example, the Englishman F.W. Steer).

Impressionist artists

Famous paintings by impressionist artists:

It's hard to meet today cultured person who does not know the graceful ballerinas of Degas, buxom beauties Renoir or landscapes with water lilies by Claude Monet. Impressionism originated in France at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries and subsequently spread throughout the world. Now the impressionists are on a par with the classics, against whom they once rebelled, but at one time it was a progressive and revolutionary movement in painting.

The crisis of art in the 19th century

IN mid-19th centuries, three styles fought in painting - classicism, romanticism and realism. All of them required the artist to have great skill in drawing and accurate copying of the depicted object. Meanwhile, classicism and romanticism showed the world in a too idealized way, and realism, on the contrary, was too mundane.

In order for an aspiring artist in France to succeed, he certainly had to undergo training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts or famous artists and exhibit at the Salon - an exhibition sponsored by the state in the person of recognized academicians. If a painter wanted to sell and be successful with the public, he needed to receive a Salon award, that is, to please the tastes of a demanding commission. If the jury rejected the work, the artist could be given up as a recognized mediocrity.

In 1863, after the Salon jury rejected about 3,000 paintings, the artists' outrage reached its peak. Complaints reached Emperor Napoleon III, and he ordered the organization of an exhibition of rejected works, which was called the “Salon of the Rejected.” The exhibition was attended by such authors as Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cezanne. The alternative exhibition had resounding success. True, the bulk of the public went there to mock the “unformatted” artists.

Such a renegade for a long time Edouard Manet was considered. His paintings “Lunch on the Grass” and “Olympia” shocked the respectable public. The author was hit by an avalanche of criticism and indignation from moral advocates.

What is it about these works? From a modern point of view, the paintings are quite traditional; nude women have been painted before. For the viewer of Manet's time, there is a challenge. In "Breakfast on the Grass" they were confused by the image of a completely naked woman in the company of clothed men. Similar plot Giorgione has it in the film “Rural Concert”, and “Olympia” is a rethought copy of Titian’s “Venus of Urbino”. The nude ladies of Giorgione and Titian are idealized, they are somewhere far away, in other worlds. And Manet’s paintings depicted courtesans, modern and happy with life. This shocked the bourgeois public, accustomed to painted goddesses and queens.

All this testified to an imminent crisis in the art of France in the second half of the 19th century. Impressionism was an attempt to find a new path, although for many it turned out to be akin to shock therapy.

Background of Impressionism

It cannot be said that impressionism arose on its own. By the time of their first exhibition, many of the participants were already in adulthood, having long years teaching painting.

The prerequisites for this new movement, if desired, can be found in the Renaissance masters Velazquez, El Greco, Goya, Rubens, Titian, and Rembrandt. But the Impressionists were directly influenced by such contemporary artists as Delacroix, Courbet, Daubigny, and Corot.

The style of the Impressionists was also influenced by Japanese painting, exhibitions of which were constantly held in Paris. The refined works of Utamaro, Hokusai, and Hiroshige poeticized every moment of life, which is so characteristic of the Eastern mentality. The simplified form, shifted composition, and purity of color in Japanese engravings captivated young artists and opened up new horizons for them.

In addition, the creativity of the Impressionists was influenced by the emergence of photography. With its help it was possible to take unexpected angles, close-ups, and images in motion. Photography has become the art of capturing the moment; this is something that was close to innovative artists. With the advent of photography, it was no longer possible to follow the accuracy of the image, but to give preference to one’s own internal state, emotional coloring. Spontaneity became one of the rules of the new painting.

Features of impressionism

Critics' complaints were not only about the subjects of the paintings, but also about the impressionists' painting style. It was radically different from what was taught at the Paris School of Fine Arts.

The impressionists did not adhere to a clear outline; they applied strokes carelessly, not caring about carefully drawing each object. The paints were mixed directly on the canvas, achieving a purity of shade. The perspective was built not according to geometric laws, but due to the depth of paint tone, the decrease in color intensity as the object moves away.

They abandoned the contrasting image of chiaroscuro. Black, white, gray disappeared from their palette, brown colors in its purest form. The shadows could be green, blue, or purple, depending on how the artist saw them.

The Impressionists widely used the technique of optical mixing: strokes of two colors are placed side by side on the canvas, which, when viewed by the viewer, give the effect of a third. For example, green and yellow turn into Blue colour, blue and red - to purple, etc.

The subjects of the paintings were not mythology or historical events, but landscapes, portraits, still lifes - all this was considered a “low” genre. Artists tried to depict nature or an object at a certain moment in time, conveying a strong emotion. This is how a series of works appeared where the same motif was depicted, but at different times of the year or day under different lighting. For example, the works of Claude Monet: “Haystacks”, “Poplars”, “Rouen Cathedral”, etc.

To achieve this, the Impressionists often painted from life, en plein air, in order to accurately capture what they saw. The academicians spent most of their time in the studio, honing their drawing techniques.

This approach made the paintings more emotional, poetic, made it possible to see the beauty in the most ordinary things, and valued the simplicity of the moment, every moment of life. The depiction of ordinary things through the prism of the artist’s perception made each painting unique.

History of the flow

On April 15, 1874, a company of young innovative artists staged their exhibition in the salon of photographer Felix Nodard on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris.

The very idea of ​​an independent exhibition, bypassing the official Salon, was already rebellious, but the paintings shown to the public caused even more indignation. After all, they went against all academic canons and were unlike the idealized works of representatives of classicism or romanticism that were then popular in France.

The exhibition featured 30 artists and 165 works. These included Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Manet, Degas, Cezanne, Berthe Morisot. After some time, fortunes would be given for their paintings, but then a storm of criticism fell on the brave souls. They were accused of being shocking in order to attract the attention of the public, they were reproached for “sloppiness”, “unfinished” work and even immorality.

The famous critic and journalist Louis Leroy, describing in a satirical article Claude Monet’s painting “Impression. Rising Sun” will call the artists impressionists (from the French impression - impression). Without knowing it, he will give the name to a whole movement in world painting.

The second exhibition took place two years after the legendary first - in April 1876. It caused even greater rejection by critics and the public. Artists were compared to mentally ill people. One can only marvel at the courage and self-confidence of these daredevils, who continued to create, despite the lack of money, in an atmosphere of constant ridicule and bullying.

In March 1875, an auction of works by Sisley, Monet, Renoir and Berthe Morisot took place. It was a scandal, the audience booed the paintings presented for sale. Many paintings were sold for next to nothing. The artists and their friends had to buy some of the works themselves rather than give them away completely for nothing.

However, the Impressionists also had loyal fans. These included gallery owner and collector Paul Durand-Ruel, who invariably helped artists organize exhibitions and sell paintings. And also collector Victor Choquet, who fell in love with the works of the Impressionists at first sight.

From 1877 to 1886, 6 more impressionist exhibitions were held in France. All of them, except the last one, were subjected to a barrage of criticism and ridicule.

Meanwhile, disagreements emerged among the artists themselves. Thus, Manet and Renoir took part in the Salon exhibitions in 1879 and 1880. Their paintings were selected by a discerning jury. Claude Monet also presented his works for the Salon, but his paintings were not accepted. This met with Degas's scorn and condemnation from other artists.

In the fall of 1885, Durand-Ruel received an offer to organize an exhibition of the Impressionists in New York. At first, the artists were skeptical about this idea. But in March 1886, Durand-Ruel left France for America with a collection of paintings by his protégés. In the United States, the works of the Impressionists were treated with interest, and the exhibition was very popular. The press was like positive reviews, and negative. Several paintings were sold to local collectors.

Meanwhile, disagreements among the Impressionists grew. Monet began to quarrel with Durand-Ruel and sell his paintings through other art dealers. Monet was joined by Pissarro and Renoir. The artists also clashed with each other.

The group of impressionists, once united in the fight against academism, lost general idea and ceased to exist.

The last exhibition in 1886 featured artists who would be called Post-Impressionists. These are Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. Post-impressionists also include such masters as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse and others.

The idea of ​​impressionism has outlived its usefulness, but it opened the way to another, even more innovative art. late XIX- beginning of the 20th century.

Impressionist artists

It is impossible to consider impressionism in isolation from the destinies of the masters themselves. Let's consider short biographies several artists.

Edouard Manet

Manet was born in 1832 into a respectable family of a lawyer and the daughter of a diplomat. The boy was not strong in studies, but showed interest in drawing. However, his parents did not support his hobby. His father wanted Edward to follow in his footsteps. His uncle helped the young man; he paid for art courses.

In 1847, the young man decides to enter a nautical school, but fails the exam. As a cabin boy, he goes on a ship to South America. While traveling, he makes a lot of drawings and sketches.

After returning to France, Edward decides to take up painting. He has been studying in the workshop of Tom Couture for 6 years. At the same time, he travels around Europe, getting acquainted with art monuments. Among the Impressionists, Manet will be considered the most “academic” artist. He will reinterpret the work of the Renaissance masters more than once in his works. His favorite painters were Velazquez, Titian, and Goya.

Manet offers his works to the Salon jury many times and is invariably refused. As a result, he participates in the exhibition “Salon of the Rejected.” There, his painting “Breakfast on the Grass” caused a big scandal. In the same 1863, the artist painted another of his shocking paintings, “Olympia.” Manet invariably found himself under a barrage of criticism. His friend Emile Zola came to the artist’s defense. Another close friend of his was Charles Baudelaire.

In 1866, Manet became friends with the Impressionists, who were also rejected by academicians. He himself never considered himself one of them. He used black in his palette and did not recognize the divisionist style of painting. But it was Edouard Manet who is considered the founder of impressionism.

Manet, who did not accept academicism, nevertheless invariably sent his works to the Salon. He had a hard time with the refusals and indifference of the audience to his works. The artist paints a lot of portraits and genre scenes; his palette is not as cheerful as that of other impressionists. He also works in the open air and paints still lifes.

By the end of the 70s, the work of Edouard Manet was gradually gaining recognition. His works are exhibited in Salons, at one he even receives a medal. In 1881, Manet was awarded the Legion of Honor. By this time, the artist was already suffering from ataxia (lack of coordination of movements). He could no longer paint large canvases.

In 1883, Manet's leg was amputated due to gangrene, but the operation did not help. A few months later the artist died.

Claude Monet

Claude Monet was born in 1840 into the family of a grocery merchant. The boy became famous in his native Le Havre, thanks to drawing caricatures and caricatures. At the age of 17, fate brought him together with the artist Eugene Boudin. Boudin took young Monet with him to plein airs and instilled in him a love of painting.

In 1859, Claude went to Paris. He begins his studies at the Suisse Academy, and then takes lessons from Charles Gleyre. In 1865 Monet exhibited at the Salon. His work was received quite favorably. Then he meets his future wife Camilla.

Monet often went out into the open air with Renoir and other impressionists; painting landscapes captivated him more and more.

In 1870 Monet left for London. In England he meets Paul Durand-Ruel. After 2 years, returning to France, Monet settled in Argenteuil. During the 4 years he lived in this cozy place, Monet wrote many works.

In 1874, Claude Monet participated in the first Impressionist exhibition. His paintings were criticized, as were the works of other participants.

In 1878, the Monet family settled in the town of Vitey. There he creates many paintings. But a year later his wife Camilla dies. For a while, grief-stricken, Monet abandoned landscapes, painting still lifes in the studio.

In 1883, Monet finally found a place where he would live for more than 40 years. This place turns out to be a house in Giverny. New owner he will lay out a wonderful garden there and make a famous pond, which will tirelessly write at sunset.

In 1892, Claude Monet married his friend's widow, Alice Hoschedet.

Monet paints a series of works, depicting the same view at different times of the year and day, under different lighting. He has quite a lot of such series: “Haystack”, “Poplars”, “Pond with Water Lilies”, “Rouen Cathedral”, etc. Claude Monet is a virtuoso in conveying different color shades, he depicts a fleeting moment through the prism of his perception. His paintings are a success and are eagerly purchased by collectors, including those outside France.

Throughout his life, Monet painted nature. Towards the end of his life he concentrated on his garden in Giverny, which he turned into another work of art. The master tirelessly paints its views: flowers, shady alleys and the famous pond. In 1919, Monet donated 12 large paintings from the “Nymphaeas” series. Two pavilions were allocated for them in the Orangerie Museum.

Meanwhile, the artist began to go blind. After undergoing eye surgery in 1925, he was able to return to work. Claude Monet died in 1926, having become a classic artist during his lifetime. He was not only the founder of impressionism, but also the predecessor abstract art, ahead of his time and opening an entire era with his creativity.

Auguste Renoir

Auguste was born into a large, poor family in 1841. As a teenager, he painted dishes. In 1862 he entered the School of Fine Arts, and also attended classes with Charles Gleyre. In 1864, his paintings were approved for participation in the Salon. Together with his impressionist friends, Renoir goes to plein airs. The artist develops his own unique style - bold, broad strokes, a cheerful play of light and color.

After the first exhibition of the Impressionists, Renoir was subjected to merciless criticism. Subsequently, he participated in 3 more exhibitions. In 1879 he exhibited at the Salon, despite the reproaches of his friends. His painting “Madame Charpentier with Children” received recognition, and the artist’s business went uphill. Wealthy townspeople began to give him orders for portraits. Renoir was especially successful female images, he also painted many children's portraits. They feel special warmth and ease.

The 1870-80s are the heyday of the artist’s work. He paints complex, large canvases with many characters. His famous paintings “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette” and “Breakfast of the Rowers” ​​date back to this period. Renoir believed that painting should decorate people's lives. His art was bright, sincere, sunny, like France itself.

In 1890, he married his model Alina Sharigo, and they had three children. In 1881, Renoir travels to Italy. When he returned, he changed his painting style to a more “academic” one. The paintings “Umbrellas” and “Great Bathers” belong to this period. Renoir paid a lot of attention to the nude. Returning to the principles of impressionism, he painted a series of paintings with bathers - an ode female beauty and grace.

Renoir, unlike many impressionists, received recognition during his lifetime. He was praised by critics, he had many customers, and his paintings sold well. In his old age, Renoir suffered from arthritis. He wrote by tying his brushes to his hands, disfigured by rheumatism. “Pain passes, but beauty remains,” said the artist. Auguste Renoir died in 1919 from lung disease.

Camille Pissarro

Born on the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean in 1831. At the age of 25 he moved to France, to Paris, and studied with Suisse and Corot. Participated in the “Salon of the Rejected”. At the same time, he met Manet, Cezanne, Monet, and Sisley. Pissarro painted landscapes, paying a lot of attention to the lighting of objects. In 1868 he exhibited at the Salon. The following year, due to the outbreak of war, he was forced to leave for London. There Pissarro met his friend Claude Monet. Together they went plein air, exploring the nature of England.

Upon returning to France, Camille Pissarro settled in Pontoise. In 1872, Cezanne and his family came to him. Artists become inseparable friends. And in 1881 Paul Gauguin joined them. Pissarro willingly helped young artists and shared his experience with them. He urged not to pay much attention to drawing the outline of objects, the main thing is to convey the essence. You need to write what you see and feel, without focusing on the accuracy of the technique. Only nature can be a teacher, with whom one should always consult.

During his life in Pontoise, Pissarro was able to develop his own special style of painting. The artist lived there for 10 years. He often turned to stories from rural life. His works are filled with light and lyricism.

However, Pissarro's paintings sold poorly, and it was difficult for him to secure his large family. In 1884, the artist settled in the village of Eragny, occasionally visiting Paris in the hope of selling his paintings or finding a patron. Such a person was Paul Durand-Ruel, who received a monopoly right to buy out the master’s works.

In 1885, Camille Pissarro decided to join the post-impressionists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, he tried a new direction - pointillism. Because of the participation of Seurat and Signac in the eighth exhibition of the Impressionists, Pissarro quarrels with Monet, Renoir, and Sisley. As a result, Pissarro and his new friends exhibited in a separate room. However, the public did not appreciate the new direction.

In 1889, Pissarro abandoned pointillism and returned to his old style. Painting with dots could not satisfy his desire to convey the spontaneity and freshness of inner sensation. People are starting to buy his paintings again. Durand-Ruel organizes several exhibitions of the artist.

IN last years During his life, Pissarro became seriously interested in graphics, lithography and etching. The artist died in Paris at the age of 73. During his lifetime, he received no awards from the state. Pissarro always helped young artists and tried to reconcile the warring Impressionists. He was the only one who participated in all their exhibitions.

Edgar Degas

Degas was born in 1834. His banker father had difficulty giving Edgar permission to study painting. At 21 years old. the young man entered the School of Fine Arts. In 1865, Degas's painting "Scene from the Life of the Middle Ages" was approved for exhibition at the Salon. Acquaintance with the impressionists changes the artist’s worldview. He is moving away from academicism. Degas prefers genre painting, depicting the ordinary people around him.

Beginning in the 1870s, Degas tried to paint in pastels. The artist liked this material, as it combined painting with graphics. Degas's style differed from other impressionists, who put light first. In addition, Degas did not go to plein airs, preferring to make sketches in cafes, at horse races, and in shops. He tried to express expression through line and drawing, which was not always understood by other impressionists.

Degas always took an active part in organizing impressionist exhibitions in France. He missed only one of them for ideological reasons. However, he himself did not consider himself an impressionist.

Degas's works are not as joyful as the paintings of his comrades. He often depicted life without embellishment, as in the film “The Absinthe Drinkers.”

A circle of young artists gathered around Degas - Vidal, Cassette, Raffaelli, Tillo, Foren and others. This created a split in the Impressionist society and led to an inevitable conflict and, ultimately, to the disintegration of the partnership.

In the 1880s, Degas created a series of works: “In a hat shop”, “Naked women at the toilet”. last series pastels caused public outrage because women were depicted in a realistic, intimate manner during everyday activities.

The “Horses” and “Dancers” series allowed the artist to convey the drawing in motion. The theme of the ballet was close to Degas. No one could convey the essence of dance like he did. Edgar painted fragile dancers on stage and behind the scenes. He often made drawings from memory in the studio, which was also unusual for the impressionists.

Degas never created a family. He was famous for his difficult, quarrelsome character. His only passion was art, to which he devoted all his time.

After 1890, Degas suffered from an eye disease and partially lost his sight. The master turns to sculpture. He sculpted dancers and horses from clay and wax, but many of his figurines subsequently perished due to the fragility of the material. However, 150 works remaining after the artist’s death were converted into bronze.

Degas spent his last years blind. It was for him great tragedy. Edgar Degas died in 1917 in Paris, leaving behind a great legacy in the form of drawings, paintings, and sculptures.

Based on the life stories of artists, it is clear that impressionism has many facets. At one time, it became a revolution in the art of France and the whole world, opening the possibility for the emergence of many new directions. But one thing united all the impressionists. This is the desire to depict the fragile, elusive beauty of moments from which life is built.