Impressionist Mixed Media
Emerging in 19th-century France, Impressionist art embraced loose brushwork and plein-air painting to respond to the movement of daily life. Although the pioneers of the Impressionist movement — Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir — are now household names, their work was a radical break with an art scene led and shaped by academic traditions for around two centuries. These academies had oversight of a curriculum that emphasized formal drawing, painting and sculpting techniques and historical themes.
The French Impressionists were influenced by a group of artists known as the Barbizon School, who painted what they witnessed in nature. The rejection of pieces by these artists and the later Impressionists from the salons culminated in a watershed 1874 exhibition in Paris that was staged outside of the juried systems. After a work of Monet’s was derided by a critic as an unfinished “impression,” the term was taken as a celebration of their shared interest in capturing fleeting moments as subject matter, whether the shifting weather on rural landscapes or the frenzy of an urban crowd. Rather than the exacting realism of the academic tradition, Impressionist paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings represented how an artist saw a world in motion.
Many Impressionist painters were inspired by the perspectives in imported Japanese prints alongside these shifts in European painting — Édouard Manet drew on ukiyo-e woodblock prints and depicted Japanese design in his Portrait of Émile Zola, for example. American artists such as Mary Cassatt and William Merritt Chase, who studied abroad, were impacted by the work of the French artists, and by the late 19th century American Impressionism had its own distinct aesthetics with painters responding to the rapid modernization of cities through quickly created works that were vivid with color and light.
Find a collection of authentic Impressionist art on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Artist Comments
A man and a cow share a quiet ride across a vibrant, sunlit landscape. The driver focuses on the road ahead while the animal stands calmly, gazing over the go...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Epoxy Resin, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Wood, Wood Pan...
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Wood, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Pan...
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Artist Comments
A rocky mountain rises dramatically from the red desert floor of the Valley of Fire. Loose washes of watercolor convey serenity, while sharp lines define the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Epoxy Resin, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
Three hummingbirds soar gracefully against a soft, dreamy sky filled with pastel clouds and golden light. Their delicate forms and jewel-toned bodies stand ou...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 1900s Impressionist Mixed Media
Watercolor, Gouache, Paper
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Artist Comments
A yucca stretches toward the fiery Sedona sunset, where bright oranges and pinks fill the sky. Soft brushstrokes blend dry grasse...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
Zinnias burst with vibrant energy, their single and double-petaled blooms showcasing a spectrum of colors. Bright sunlight and soft shadows highlight the varied...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy shares an impressionist portrait of a cat. This fanciful and playful feline smells the sunflower perhaps unaware of the bumblebees nearby. "It is also just as likely that the cat embraces the nearness of the bees and confronts them head-on with courage," says Nava. The subtle patterns in the background amplify the lighthearted playfulness of the composition.
About the Artist
Nava’s romantic and heavily textured impressionist paintings radiate delicate, feminine charm. She focuses on creating depth and dimension with the layers of impasto she applies with a palette knife. This textural element blurs and abstracts the composition, conveying a notion of gentle, bleary-eyed beauty. Nava preps each canvas with a gold wash to make her paintings glimmer with luscious warmth. She works from her home in Florida, amid the chaos of children and canines, and finds peace painting in silence.
Words that describe this painting: cat, kitty, playful, vertical, animal, bee, sunflower, animal, mixed media, impressionism, pet, impressionism, animals, mixed media artwork, orange
It Takes Courage...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Oil, Cardboard
1980s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gouache, Color Pencil, Paper, Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor, Pen
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Paper, Glaze, Mixed Media, Oil
Early 20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Pastel
1930s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gouache
1980s Impressionist Mixed Media
Permanent Marker
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Oil, Cardboard
Early 1900s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
This acrylic painting presents a delicate yet striking portrait of a woman adorned with a floral crown. Smooth, blended skin tones contrast with expressive, tex...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Oil
1990s Impressionist Mixed Media
Charcoal, Mixed Media, Carbon Pencil
1960s Impressionist Mixed Media
Conté, Pastel, Mixed Media, Tempera, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Paper, Mixed Media
1920s Impressionist Mixed Media
Watercolor
1970s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Artist Comments
Pink and red poppies share a whimsical dance within the green vase. The use of thick paint and delicate gold leaf adds a layer of richness to the still-life p...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Plastic, Sailcloth, Chalk, Fabric, Wood, Oil, Mixed Media, Paper
1990s Impressionist Mixed Media
Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Enamel
1980s Impressionist Mixed Media
Watercolor, Laid Paper, Photographic Paper
Artist Comments
Lily pads and dappled light dance on a pond. Rich blues and greens with an embedded gold metal leaf create movement in the water. The mosaic-stained glass aesth...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1920s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
1970s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Karen Barton captured this charming scene from her flower garden, where three hummingbirds appear to interact as if engaged in a lively conversation. S...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
