Analysis of Historical Art Period: Impressionism and Post Impressionism

Impressionism and Post Impressionism

Introduction

The history has witnessed a broad range of art periods, which includes Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Romanticism, Realism and many more. Although, all these movements have contributed to the promotion of different styles in art and paintings, but the period between late 18th century has historical importance. The chronicles of time witnessed two influential movements during this era; one was Impressionism, which remained during the period 1860 - 1880 while other movement was Post Impressionism, which remained active till early 19th century. Both movements started in France. Artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro defined what is today called French Impressionist art. These painters took an unconventional approach to art and strived for the freedom of expression which also exhibited through their brush work in their paintings. Soon after it, another group of French man stood against this movement with a spirit of revolt against Impressionism. This group formed the foundation of Post Impressionism and the history witnessed some of the masters of art including van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin.

Discussion

Impressionism (1860-1880)

Term 'Impressionism' by and large applied to French Art Movement in the late nineteenth century. This movement aided other ancillaries like American Impressionism to rise. The term essentially refers to a faction of French painters, between the years 1860 and 1900, who composed master pieces of art based on unorthodox style, which attracted serious criticism, from art critics. These artists include Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, Alfred Sisley, Auguste Renoir, Frédéric Bazille, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt Camille Pissarro, Eva Gonzalès, Gustave Caillebotte, Armand Guillaumin and Stanislas Lépine. “The movement was anti-academic in its formal features and engaged in the founding of new venues for displacing and selling paintings rather than employing approved Salons (Grove Art Online a).

Characteristics

The painters composed their works under the open sky, and in natural light, at the same time, they endeavored to depict the visual sensation or subject, rather than remake the subject accurately. They composed an open work of art, which gives freedom to the subjects to run off the canvas or be intersected by the boundary of the frame. 'The primary concern of the Impressionist was the effect of light on an object rather than the exact presentation of the form' (Clancy, 2004, pp.1). Another striking attribute witnessed by this period was use of brushstrokes to induce a movement or emotion. The paint applied alongside with the least mixing, while, at the same time, painters did not wait for the hues to get dry which culminated in an opaque finish. It was a clear departure from earlier techniques used for giving a translucent effect. There was a high attention paid on changing light, to portray mood and time. Unlike lofty formal motifs of early 1800s, subject matter chosen was from everyday life in their natural poses. These compositions seem to acknowledge that motion is a vital element of human views; exercise of widely diverse techniques to imprison ...