- In l894 the French painter Claude Monet exhibited a painting called "Impression, Sunrise." The painting was dismissed by critics who called the work "impressionist." The critical review gave a name to a new style of painting bringing light, spontaneity and the personal perspective of the artist onto the canvas. Impressionist painters started not with a sketch developed in the studio but with color, and they painted outdoors.
- This American-born artist encouraged her friends and patrons to accept and, more importantly, collect impressionist art. Her paintings show an intimate knowledge of the presence of light and the ability to bring that light into her canvases. She painted simple domestic scenes of life and is best known for her paintings of mothers with their children.
- The early works by Pierre Auguste Renoir are a study in bringing light into the canvas in the typical impressionist style. His outdoor paintings and many studies of his model Lise show his ability to light a canvas with incredible softness and beauty. He specialized in painting flowers, pretty children and beautiful women. His paintings are joyful and appealing.
- Alfred Sisley, who painted with Monet and Renoir, was an English painter who spent most of his life in France. Totally immersed in his art, Sisley did not promote himself as many of his contemporaries did, and he only achieved recognition toward the end of his life. His passion for painting the brilliant blue hues of the sky and the subtleties of snow allowed him to take the impressionist movement to another level.
previous post