Painting in impressionism: features, history. Famous Impressionist painters

Impressionism is a direction in painting that originated in France in the 19th-20th centuries, which is an artistic attempt to capture any moment of life in all its variability and mobility. Impressionist paintings are like a qualitatively washed-out photograph, reviving in fantasy the continuation of the story seen. In this article, we take a look at 10 of the world's most famous impressionists. Fortunately, there are many more than ten, twenty or even a hundred talented artists, so let's focus on those names that you need to know for sure.

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

2. Van Gogh

Known to the whole world for the sad story about his ear (by the way, he did not cut off the whole ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gon became popular only after his death. And in his life he was able to sell a 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 rebelliousness of his existence resulted in legendary works.

3. Camille Pissarro

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

4. Claude Monet

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

5. Konstantin Korovin

It's nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, one can proudly place our compatriot - Konstantin Korovin. Passionate love for nature helped him intuitively give unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the combination of 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 certainly begin to paint. Over time, the artist's style has changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are "Garden in the Snow", "At the Cliff", "On the Beach in Dieppe", "Nude", "Palms 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 gain 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, made a loud emphasis on regular and irregular geometric shapes, the severity of the themes of his paintings were 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 he moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the road of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of a sentimental portrait, among his most outstanding works - "On the terrace", "Walk", "Portrait of the actress Jeanne Samary", "The Lodge", "Alfred Sisley and his wife", "On a swing", "The Frog" and a lot others.

9. Edgar Degas

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

10. Edouard Manet

Do not confuse Manet with Monet - these are two different people who worked at the same time and in the same artistic direction. Manet was always attracted by everyday scenes, unusual appearances and types, as if by chance "caught" moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among the famous paintings by Manet: "Olympia", "Breakfast on the Grass", "Bar at the Folies Bergère", "Flute Player", "Nana" and others.

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

Alexandra Skripkina,

Impressionism is a direction in painting that originated in France in the 19th-20th centuries, which is an artistic attempt to capture any moment of life in all its variability and mobility. Impressionist paintings are like a qualitatively washed-out photograph, reviving in fantasy the continuation of the story seen. In this article, we take a look at 10 of the world's most famous impressionists. Fortunately, there are more than ten, twenty or even a hundred talented artists, so let's focus on those names that you need to know for sure.

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

2. Van Gogh

Known to the whole world for the sad story about his ear (by the way, he did not cut off the whole ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gon became popular only after his death. And in his life he was able to sell a 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 rebelliousness of his existence resulted in legendary works.

3. Camille Pissarro

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

4. Claude Monet

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

5. Konstantin Korovin

It is nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, one can proudly place our compatriot Konstantin Korovin. Passionate love for nature helped him intuitively give unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the combination of 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 certainly begin to paint. Over time, the artist's style changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are Garden in the Snow, By 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 gain 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, made a loud emphasis on regular and irregular geometric shapes, the severity of the themes of his paintings were 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 he moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the road of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of a sentimental portrait, among his most outstanding works are “On the Terrace”, “Walk”, “Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary”, “The Lodge”, “Alfred Sisley and his Wife”, “On the Swing”, “The Frog” and a lot others.

9. Edgar Degas

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

10. Edouard Manet

Do not confuse Manet with Monet - these are two different people who worked at the same time and in the same artistic direction. Manet was always attracted by everyday scenes, unusual appearances and types, as if by chance "caught" moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among the famous paintings by Manet: "Olympia", "Breakfast on the Grass", "Bar at the Folies Bergère", "Flute Player", "Nana" and others.

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

Impressionism (fr. impressionnisme, from impression- impression) - a trend in art of the last third of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which originated in France and then spread throughout the world, whose representatives sought to develop methods and techniques that made it possible to most naturally and vividly capture the real world in its mobility and variability, to convey their fleeting impressions. Usually, the term “impressionism” means a direction in painting (but this is, first of all, a group of methods), although its ideas have also found their way into literature and music, where impressionism also appeared in a certain set of methods and techniques for creating literary and musical works, in which the authors sought to convey life in a sensual, direct form, as a reflection of their impressions

The task of the artist at that time was the most plausible image of reality, not showing the subjective feelings of the artist. If he was ordered a formal portrait, then it was necessary to show the customer in a favorable light: without deformities, stupid facial expressions, etc. If it was a religious story, then it was necessary to evoke a feeling of reverence and amazement. If the landscape - then show the beauty of nature. However, if the artist despised the rich man who commissioned the portrait, or was an unbeliever, then there was no choice and all that remained was to develop his own unique technique and hope for good luck. However, in the second half of the nineteenth century, photography began to develop actively and realistic painting began to gradually move aside, since even then it was extremely difficult to convey reality as believably as in photography.

In many ways, with the advent of the Impressionists, it became clear that art can be of value as the subjective representation of the author. After all, each person perceives reality differently and reacts to it in his own way. It is all the more interesting to see how reality is reflected in the eyes of different people and what emotions they experience at the same time.

The artist has an incredible amount of opportunities for self-expression. Moreover, self-expression itself has become much freer: take a non-standard plot, topic, tell something other than religious or historical topics, use your own unique technique, etc. For example, the Impressionists wanted to express a fleeting impression, the first emotion. That is why their work is vague and as if unfinished. This was done in order to show an instant impression, when the objects had not yet taken shape in the mind and only slight overflows of light, halftones and blurry contours were visible. Myopic people will understand me) imagine that you have not yet seen the whole object, you see it from afar or simply do not peer, but already form some kind of impression about it. If you try to portray this, then it is likely that you will end up with something like impressionist paintings. Something like a sketch. That is why it turned out that for the Impressionists it was more important not what is depicted, but how.

The main representatives of this genre in painting were: Monet, Manet, Sisley, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne. Separately, Umlyam Turner should be noted as their predecessor.

Speaking of the plot:

Their paintings represented only the positive aspects of life, not affecting social problems, including such as hunger, disease, death. This later led to a split among the Impressionists themselves.

Color schemes

The Impressionists paid great attention to color, fundamentally refusing gloomy shades, especially black. Such attention to the color of their work brought the color itself to a very important place in the picture and prompted future generations of artists and designers to be attentive to color as such.

Composition

The composition of the Impressionists resembled Japanese painting, they used complex compositional schemes, other canons (not the golden ratio or the center). In general, the structure of the picture has become more often asymmetric, more complex and interesting from this point of view.

The composition of the Impressionists began to have a more independent meaning, it became one of the subjects of painting, in contrast to the classical one, where it more often (but not always) carried the role of a scheme according to which any work was built. At the end of the 19th century, it became clear that this is a dead end, and the composition itself can carry certain emotions and support the plot of the picture.

forerunners

El Greco - because he used similar techniques in applying paint and the color acquired a symbolic meaning from him. He also distinguished himself by a very original manner, individuality, which the Impressionists also aspired to.

Japanese engraving - because it gained great popularity in Europe of those years and showed that a picture can be built according to completely different rules than the classical canons of European art. This applies to composition, use of color, detailing, and so on. Also, in Japanese and in general oriental drawings and engravings, domestic scenes were much more often depicted, which was almost absent in European art.

Meaning

The Impressionists left a bright mark in world art, developing unique painting techniques and having a huge impact on all subsequent generations of artists with their bright and memorable works, protest against the classical school and unique work with color. Striving for maximum immediacy and accuracy in the transfer of the visible world, they began to paint mainly in the open air and raised the importance of a study from nature, which almost supplanted the traditional type of painting, carefully and slowly created in the studio.

Consistently clarifying their palette, the Impressionists freed painting from earthy and brown varnishes and paints. Conditional, "museum" blackness in their canvases gives way to an infinitely diverse play of reflexes and colored shadows. They immeasurably expanded the possibilities of fine art, discovering not only the world of sun, light and air, but also the beauty of the London fogs, the restless atmosphere of the life of a big city, the scattering of its night lights and the rhythm of incessant movement.

By virtue of the very method of working in the open air, the landscape, including the urban landscape they discovered, occupied a very important place in the art of the Impressionists. However, it should not be assumed that their painting was characterized only by a "landscape" perception of reality, for which they were often reproached. The thematic and plot range of their work was quite wide. Interest in man, and in particular in the modern life of France, was inherent in a number of representatives of this trend in a broad sense. His life-affirming, basically democratic pathos clearly opposed the bourgeois world order.

At the same time, impressionism and, as we will see later, post-impressionism are two sides, or rather, two consecutive time stages of that fundamental change that marked the boundary between the art of modern and modern times. In this sense, impressionism, on the one hand, completes the development of everything after the Renaissance art, the leading principle of which was the reflection of the surrounding world in visually reliable forms of reality itself, and on the other hand, it is the beginning of the largest upheaval in the history of fine art after the Renaissance, which laid the foundations for a qualitatively new art. stage -

art of the twentieth century.

"Exhibition of the Impressionists", based on the name of the painting by Claude Monet "Impression. Rising sun" (fr. Impression, soleil levant). Initially, this term was somewhat disparaging, indicating a corresponding attitude towards artists who wrote in a new "careless" manner.

Impressionism in painting

origins

By the mid-1880s, impressionism gradually ceased to exist as a single direction, and disintegrated, giving a noticeable impetus to the evolution of art. By the beginning of the 20th century, the trend away from realism gained momentum, and a new generation of artists turned away from impressionism.

The emergence of the name

Decades have passed. And a new generation of artists will come to a real collapse of forms and impoverishment of content. Then both the critics and the public saw in the condemned Impressionists - realists, and a little later, the classics of French art.

The specificity of the philosophy of impressionism

French impressionism did not raise philosophical problems and did not even try to penetrate the colored surface of everyday life. Instead, Impressionism, being art to a certain extent campy and mannerist, focuses on superficiality, the fluidity of a moment, mood, lighting, or angle of view.

Like the art of the Renaissance (Renaissance), impressionism is built on the features and skills of perceiving perspective. At the same time, the Renaissance vision explodes with the proven subjectivity and relativity of human perception, which makes color and form autonomous components of the image. For impressionism, it is not so important what is shown in the figure, but how it is shown is important.

Impressionist paintings do not carry social criticism, do not touch upon social problems such as hunger, illness, death, presenting only the positive aspects of life. This later led to a split among the Impressionists themselves.

Impressionism and society

Impressionism is characterized by democracy. By inertia, art in the 19th century was considered a monopoly of aristocrats, the upper strata of the population. It was they who acted as the main customers for murals, monuments, it was they who were the main buyers of paintings and sculptures. Plots with the hard work of the peasants, the tragic pages of our time, the shameful aspects of wars, poverty, social turmoil were condemned, not approved, not bought. Criticism of the blasphemous morality of society in the paintings of Theodore Gericault, Francois Millet found a response only from supporters of artists and a few experts.

The Impressionists in this matter occupied quite compromise, intermediate positions. Biblical, literary, mythological, historical plots inherent in official academicism were discarded. On the other hand, they ardently desired recognition, respect, even awards. Indicative is the activity of Edouard Manet, who for years sought recognition and awards from the official Salon and its administration.

Instead, a vision of everyday life and modernity appeared. Artists often painted people in motion, during fun or relaxation, imagined the view of a certain place in a certain light, nature was also the motive of their work. They took subjects of flirting, dancing, staying in cafes and theaters, boat trips, on beaches and in gardens. Judging by the paintings of the Impressionists, life is a series of small holidays, parties, pleasant pastimes outside the city or in a friendly environment (a number of paintings by Renoir, Manet and Claude Monet). The Impressionists were among the first to paint in the air, without finalizing their work in the studio.

Technique

The new trend differed from academic painting both technically and ideologically. First of all, the Impressionists abandoned the contour, replacing it with small separate and contrasting strokes, which they applied in accordance with the color theories of Chevreul, Helmholtz and Rude. The sunbeam splits into its components: violet, blue, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, but since blue is a variety of blue, their number is reduced to six. Two colors placed side by side reinforce each other and, conversely, when mixed, they lose their intensity. In addition, all colors are divided into primary, or primary, and dual, or derivatives, with each dual paint being additional in relation to the first:

• Blue - Orange
• Red Green
• Yellow - Purple

Thus, it became possible not to mix paints on the palette and to obtain the desired color by correctly applying them to the canvas. This later became the reason for the rejection of black.

Then the Impressionists stopped concentrating all their work on canvases in the studios, now they prefer open air, where it is more convenient to grab a fleeting impression of what they saw, which was made possible thanks to the invention of steel paint tubes, which, unlike leather bags, could be closed so that the paint did not dry out.

Also, the artists used opaque paints, which do not transmit light well and are unsuitable for mixing because they quickly turn gray, which allowed them to create paintings not with " internal", a " external» light reflecting off the surface.

Technical differences contributed to the achievement of other goals, first of all, the Impressionists tried to capture a fleeting impression, the smallest changes in each subject depending on the lighting and time of day, the highest embodiment was Monet's cycles of paintings "Haystacks", "Rouen Cathedral" and "London's Parliament".

In general, many masters worked in the Impressionist style, but the basis of the movement were Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, Frédéric Bazille and Berthe Morisot. However, Manet always called himself an "independent artist" and never participated in exhibitions, and although Degas participated, he never painted his works en plein air.

Timeline by artist

Impressionists

Exhibitions

• First exhibition(April 15 - May 15)

• Second exhibition(April )

Address: st. Lepeletier, 11 (Durand-Ruel Gallery). Members: Basile (posthumously, the artist died in 1870), Beliard, Bureau, Debutin, Degas, Caillebotte, Cals, Lever, Legros, Lepic, Millet, Monet, Morisot, L. Otten, Pissarro, Renoir, Rouar, Sisley, Tillo, Francois

• Third exhibition(April )

Address: st. Lepelletier, 6. Members: Guillaumin, Degas, Caillebotte, Cals, Cordeil, Lever, Lamy, Monet, Morisot, Alphonse Moreau, Piette, Pissarro, Renoir, Rouard, Cezanne, Sisley, Tillo, Francois.

• Fourth Exhibition(April 10 - May 11)

Address: Opera Avenue, 28. Members: Bracquemont, Madame Bracquemont, Gauguin, Degas, Zandomeneghi, Caillebotte, Cals, Cassatt, Lebourg, Monet, Piette, Pissarro, Rouart, Somm, Tillo, Forain.

• Fifth exhibition(April 1 - April 30)

Address: st. Pyramids, 10. Members: Brakemont, Mrs. Brakemont, Vidal, Vignon, Guillaumin, Gauguin, Degas, Zandomeneghi, Caillebotte, Cassatt, Lebourg, Lever, Morisot, Pissarro, Raffaelli, Rouart, Tillo, Forain.

• Sixth exhibition(April 2 - May 1)

Address: Boulevard des Capucines, 35 (studio of the photographer Nadar). Members: Vidal, Vignon, Guillaume, Gauguin, Degas, Zandomeneghi, Cassatt, Morisot, Pissarro, Raffaelli, Rouar, Tillo, Forain.

• Seventh exhibition(March )

Address: Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, 251 (At Durand-Ruel). Members: Vignon, Guillaume, Gauguin, Caillebotte, Monet, Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley.

• Eighth Exhibition(May 15 - June 15)

Address: st. Laffitt, 1. Members: Madame Braquemont, Vignon, Guillaumin, Gauguin, Degas, Zandomeneghi, Cassette, Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Lucien Pissarro, Redon, Rouard, Seurat, Signac, Tillo, Forain, Schuffenecker.

Impressionism in literature

In literature, impressionism did not develop as a separate trend, but its features were reflected in naturalism and symbolism.

First of all, it is characterized by the expression of the author’s private impression, the rejection of an objective picture of reality, the depiction of every moment, which should have entailed the absence of a plot, history and the replacement of thought with perception, and reason with instinct. The main features of the impressionist style were formulated by the Goncourt brothers in their work "Diary", where the famous phrase " Seeing, feeling, expressing - this is all art has become a central position for many writers.

In naturalism, the main principle was truthfulness, fidelity to nature, but it is subject to impression, and therefore the appearance of reality depends on each individual and her temperament. This is most fully expressed in the novels of Emile Zola, his detailed descriptions of smells, sounds and visual perceptions.

Symbolism, on the contrary, demanded a rejection of the material world and a return to the ideal, but the transition is possible only through fleeting impressions, revealing a secret essence in visible things. A striking example of poetic impressionism - a collection

“A new world was born when the Impressionists painted it”

Henri Kahnweiler

XIX century. France. The unthinkable happened in painting. A group of young artists decided to shake the 500-year-old tradition. Instead of a clear drawing, they used a wide “sloppy” brushstroke.

And they completely abandoned the usual images, depicting everyone in a row. 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 did not buy anything from them.

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

What revolutionary did each of them? Why did the public not accept them for so long? Here are 7 of the world's most famous French Impressionists.

1. Edouard Manet (1832-1883)

Edward Mane. Self portrait with palette. 1878 Private collection

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

Manet himself did not claim to be the leader of the revolutionaries. He was a man of the world. 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, so that they looked beautiful in the dining room. Manet wanted to paint contemporary 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 dressed men.

Edward Mane. Breakfast on the grass. 1863, Paris

Compare his "Breakfast on the Grass" with Thomas Couture's "Romans in the Decline". Couture's painting made a splash. The artist instantly became famous.

"Breakfast on the Grass" was accused of vulgarity. Pregnant women were absolutely not recommended to look at her.

Thomas Couture. Romans in decline. 1847 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. artchive.ru

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

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

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

Edward Mane. Angelina. 1860 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.commons.org

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

This, of course, annoyed the public. “After all, even the Mediterranean Sea cannot boast of such a blue as the water at Manet,” they quipped.

Edward Mane. Argenteuil. 1874 Museum of Fine Arts, Tournai, Belgium. wikipedia.org

But the fact remains. Manet fundamentally changed the purpose of painting. The picture became the embodiment of the individuality of the artist, who writes as he pleases. Forget about patterns and traditions.

Innovations did not forgive him for a long time. Recognition waited only at the end of life. But he no longer needed it. He was agonizingly dying from an incurable disease.

2. Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Claude Monet. Self-portrait in a beret. 1886 Private collection

Claude Monet can be called a textbook 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. Trembling of the air.

Claude Monet. Paddling pool. 1869 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Metmuseum.org

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

There is a lot of photography in this painting. For example, motion is conveyed using a blurry image.

Pay attention: distant trees and figures seem to be in a haze.

Claude Monet. Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. 1873 (Gallery of European and American Art of the 19th-20th centuries), Moscow

Before us is a stopped moment of the bustling life of Paris. No staging. Nobody is posing. People are depicted as a collection of strokes. Such plotlessness and the “freeze frame” effect is the main feature of impressionism.

By the mid-1980s, artists had become disillusioned with Impressionism. Aesthetics is, of course, good. But the plotlessness of many oppressed.

Only Monet continued to persist, exaggerating impressionism. This developed into a series of paintings.

He depicted the same landscape dozens of times. At different times of the day. At different times of the year. To show how much temperature and light can change the same view beyond recognition.

So there were countless haystacks.

Paintings by Claude Monet at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Left: Haystacks at sunset at 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 one of their inventions.

Monet managed to enjoy success and material well-being. After 40, he already forgot about poverty. Got a house and a beautiful garden. And he did it for his pleasure for many years to come.

Read about the most iconic painting by the master in the article

3. Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Self-portrait. 1875 Sterling and Francine Clark Institute of Art, Massachusetts, USA. Pinterest

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

You will not find drama in his paintings. He didn't even use black paint. Only the joy of being. Even the most banal Renoir looks beautiful.

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

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Rowers breakfast. 1880-1881 Phillips Collection, Washington, USA. wikimedia.commons.org

You will not find in Renoir and thoughtfulness. He was very glad to join the Impressionists, who completely refused subjects.

As he himself said, finally he has the opportunity to paint flowers and call them simply “Flowers”. And don't make up any stories about them.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Woman with an umbrella in the garden. 1875 Thyssen-Bormenis Museum, Madrid. arteuam.com

Renoir felt best in the company of women. He asked his maids to sing and joke. The more stupid and naive the song was, the better for him. A man's chatter tired him. It is not surprising that Renoir is known for nude paintings.

The model in the painting “Nude in Sunlight” seems to appear against a colorful abstract background. Because for Renoir there is nothing secondary. The eye of the model or the area of ​​the background are equivalent.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Nude in the sunlight. 1876 ​​Musée d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.commons.org

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

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

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

4. Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

Edgar Degas. Self-portrait. 1863 Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal. cultured.com

Degas was not a classical impressionist. He did not like to work in the open air (outdoors). You will not find a deliberately brightened 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 on a par with other great impressionists. Because he was an impressionist of gesture.

Unexpected angles. Asymmetry in the arrangement of objects. Characters caught off guard. Here are the main attributes of his paintings.

He stopped the moments of life, not allowing the characters to come to their senses. Look at least at his “Opera Orchestra”.

Edgar Degas. Opera Orchestra. 1870 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. commons.wikimedia.org

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

So his favorite dancers are not always depicted in beautiful poses. Sometimes they just stretch.

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

Edgar Degas. Two ballet dancers. 1879 Shelburne Museum, Wermouth, USA

Edgar Degas loved to paint women. But the disease or the characteristics of the body did not allow him to have physical contact with them. He never married. Nobody ever saw him with a lady.

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

Edgar Degas. Ballet star. 1876-1878 Musee d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.comons.org

Please note that in the picture “Ballet Star” only the ballerina herself is drawn. Her backstage colleagues are barely distinguishable. Just a few legs.

This does not mean that Degas did not finish the picture. Such 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)

Edward Mane. Portrait of Berthe Morisot. 1873 Marmottan Monet Museum, Paris.

Bertha Morisot is rarely put in the forefront of the great Impressionists. I'm sure it's undeserved. Just in her you will find all the main features and techniques of impressionism. And if you like this style, you will love her work with all your heart.

Morisot worked quickly and impetuously, transferring her impression to the canvas. The figures seem to be about to dissolve into space.

Berthe Morisot. Summer. 1880 Fabre Museum, Montpellier, France.

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

Morisot's path to self-expression was difficult. Not only was she engaged in “sloppy” painting. She was still a woman. In those days, a lady was supposed to dream of marriage. After that, any hobby was forgotten.

Therefore, Bertha refused marriage for a long time. Until she found a man who respectfully treated her occupation. Eugene Manet was the brother of the painter Edouard Manet. He dutifully carried an easel and paints for his wife.

Berthe Morisot. Eugene Manet with his daughter in Bougival. 1881 Marmottan Monet Museum, Paris.

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

She could not go to the park to work alone, without being accompanied by someone close to her. I couldn't sit alone in a cafe. Therefore, her paintings are people from the family circle. Husband, daughter, relatives, nannies.

Berthe Morisot. A woman with a child in a garden in Bougival. 1881 National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.

Morisot did not wait for recognition. She died at the age of 54 from pneumonia, having sold almost none of her work during her 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 really was.

Read about the paintings of the master in the article

6. Camille Pissarro (1830 - 1903)

Camille Pissarro. Self-portrait. 1873 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. wikipedia.org

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

He was a faithful follower of impressionism. In dire need, with a wife and five children, he still worked hard in his favorite style. And 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 sold out. And the real recognition came to him after 60 years! Then at last he was able to forget about the need.

Camille Pissarro. Stagecoach at Louveciennes. 1869 Musée d'Orsay, Paris

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

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

Camille Pissarro. Frost. 1873 Musée d'Orsay, Paris

His most famous works are views of Paris. With wide boulevards, vain motley crowd. At night, during the day, in different weather. In some ways, they echo the series of paintings by Claude Monet.