“Landscape is nothing but an impression, and an instantaneous one, hence this label that was given us, by the way because of me…” [1]
-Claude Monet
Having a great influence on the development of Modern Art, Impressionism was the most important art movement of the nineteenth century. The name itself comes from a painting ‘Impression sunrise’—impression meaning an image in the mind caused by something outside of it—by Claude Monet, who was the pioneer of impressionism. The painting was displayed in 1874 during the first independent art show of the Impressionists (who were not yet known by that name). Inspired by the paintings name, famous critic, Louis Leroy, titled his hostile review of the show in Le Charivari newspaper, “The Exhibition of the Impressionists”, which inadvertently named the new art movement. Other impressionists who followed were: Edgar Degas, Pierre Renoir, and Camille Pissarro—all exploring ways of showing color and light trying to capture the constantly changing qualities and effects of natural light. It is known that these artists, especially Monet, were encouraged to paint outside—a tremendous and difficult feat because the light from the sun is never the same from one day to the next. 1863 was considered to be the start of Impressionism; however the name of the group did not appear until 1874, when the first exhibition was held. Impressionism consists mostly of landscapes, seascapes, and snow scenes, but ballet dancers, horses and still life such as ‘Daffodils’ are also popular. When still life is painted, they usually consist of bouquets of flowers, and wine bottles.
‘Impression Sunrise’ (shown above) shows what most impressionist paintings are comprised of—the blending of homologous colors to form a remarkable piece. Impressionism seeks to suggest rather than tell what the viewer is seeing. These paintings are essentially illusion but have a ring of chromatic liveliness that captivates the mind. In Monet’s works of art there are no straight, defined lines; one color transforms into the next in a seamless manner that astonishes the mind without overwhelming it.
Instead of harsh lines, impressionism concentrates on the combination of light and dark. With distinct brushstrokes and fragments of color dabbed side-by-side on the canvas rather than mixed on the palette, light and movement are created. Shadowing also plays a key role in this type of art. Because of the way Monet shadowed this painting, the eye is fooled into thinking that the sun is the brightest point and then therefore sees what’s around it. Although it seems so on the canvas, it is in fact, when measured with a photometer, the same brightness (or luminance) as the sky. Dr. Margaret Livingstone, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard University, said "If you make a black and white copy of Impression Sunrise, the sun disappears almost entirely." Livingstone also said that this caused the painting to have “a very realistic quality, as the older part of the visual cortex in the brain registers only luminance and not color, so that the sun in the painting would be invisible to it, while it is the newer part of the visual cortex which perceives color.” [2] The sky having done its job of tricking the eye, guides it in a downward motion where the illuminated sun is reflected in water that radiates with depth and ambiguity.
To the untrained eye, the painting draws the observer to the sun first. Then as it travels downward, the eye sees the reflection of the sun in the water. The dark colors of the boats relax the eye away from the bright oranges of the sun and bring it to the rest of the painting. The background slowly forms, suggesting a dock and a factory beyond that.
With impressionism, much is left to the imagination as far as what is happening in the scene. One can never know what Monet was thinking as he stroked the paintbrush loosely over the surface of the canvas. The painting shown is of a harbor in Le Havre in northwestern France, where Monet was born. The rest we have to decipher: are the boats in the water fishermen boats or is it people having a luxurious morning enjoying the sunrise? What is the point of the sun being reflected in the water? There is no visible sign showing what world could be lying under its surface. The point of impressionism is that there doesn’t have to be a point to it. It doesn’t have to answer any questions at all. Impressionism merely suggests a path for the mind to go, and the beauty that beholds it.
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