Impressionism Paintings

In 1874 thirty artists displayed their works at the exhibition which was hold in photographer Nadar's studio. The works were so unusual and different to everything created at that time that many art critics wrote harsh reviews ridiculing the paintings. One of them wrote that wallpaper looks more finished than Claude Monet's “Impression, soleil levant”. This critic, Louis Leroy, was the first to name artists impressionists, using this term in the heading of his scathing article.

During the next 2 years impressionists who accepted this name had eight more exhibitions, drawing public attention to their rebellious and independent works. The best known impressionists are Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Pier-Auguste Renoir, but in this style also worked Mary Cassatt, Frederic Bazille, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro and other artists.

The beginning of Impressionism movement

Paris was the city where in 19th century a group of painters started to create artworks that looked like unfinished. First impressionists in their artistic works rejected all the rules of academical painting. Impressionists' artworks can be recognized by:

• small and think brush strokes that make the painting look blurred;
• open composition;
• inclusion of movement instead depicting stable scenes;
• highly accurate depicting of light;
• attention to ordinary subjects — in impressionists' artworks they matter.

While most of the artists at that time painted portraits and even landscapes in studios, impressionists started to paint their works outside, catching the beauty of sunlight and natural lighting. They didn't focus on details creating artworks with effect of colour vibration.

Though art critics disapproved the style, public and other artists gladly accepted the original vision and freshness that impressionists have brought to art. Impressionism was a fertile background for future generations of artists who then developed such styles as Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism and Neo-Impressionism.

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