Impressionism and Post Impressionism Art

Impressionism Art

Impressionism began people going outside and painting what they saw in front of them, rather than what they wanted to see like a posed model, or an idea in their head. These paintings were made quickly because of the sifting objects. Many paintings were made about a particular view, to show the differences in perception with light, angles, seasons, and weather. The industrial revolution had created an urban middle class with a taste for relaxing and fashion, and the Impressionist artists documented their lives.

Impressionism artists liked to show social activities. “The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil,” is by an Impressionism from France named Edouard Manet. The subject of this painting is a family sitting in their garden, surrounded by nature. There are birds and chickens running around, providing implied movement. A man in the background in working on the land, also implying movement. The woman seems to have her back against a tree, while her child lays on her. This painting looks like and everyday event. It also looks like it was done fast because of the layout of the brush strokes, colors and because it looks blurry.

Post Impressionism Art

Post Impressionism believed in a free interpretation of nature. Post Impressionism artists were heavily influenced by other cultures. Cultures included Japanese, other Asian countries, Native Americans, and German. Meaning to look deeper into their view. Artists from this period have been named visionaries, thinkers, and fantastic.  Post impressionists were using paint, the way previous artists sketched. Colors were used to express artist’s emotions rather than to be realistic. 

“A Sunday on La Grande Jatte,” was made by a French Post-Impressionist named Georges Seurat. There is a personal use of color in this painting to portray all the different subjects. The artist used quick and patchy brushstrokes. Seurat also used dabs of paint like dots to unify this painting. This technique of using dots of different color is used from animals, clothing, nature, waters, and faces. This painting is representing a leisure day near the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois.