Impressionist Paintings
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.
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21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Board, Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Acrylic, Wood, Paper
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Shela Goodman presents a view of an old swinging bridge over a quiet river. The image plays with the viewer's imagination and challenges them with their personal insight. "The wonder of what is on the other side of the tree and what may be in the distance," says Shela. She skillfully balances the relationship between light and shadow to depict the depth and dimensions of the scene.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: bridge, landscape, river, tree, fog, mist, riverbank, water, impressionism, oilpaint, perspective, impressionism, nature, oil painting, brown
Bridge Over the River...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Gouache
Early 2000s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Carey Parks depicts three kids standing outside a suburban neighborhood. She uses an old family photo to capture the essence...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Gouache
Artist Comments
This painting captures the tranquility of a Los Angeles neighborhood on a cold, quiet evening. Locals retreat to their homes as the sun sets, happily savoring...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
The bright morning sunshine floods a front porch where an inviting scene unfolds. Artist Sherri Aldawood was drawn to the light and cast shadows on this historic adobe home in Taos, New Mexico. The two turquoise chairs add to the scene's charm and beckon the viewer to relax and enjoy the peaceful ambiance of the moment.
About the Artist
Sherri Aldawood didn't intend to always paint flowers, but over time her love of gardens started to permeate her art. She focuses on the light and color of the flowers on the canvas. Sherri prefers alla prima, working with wet layers of paint instead of letting them dry. She keeps the paint as wet as possible by using walnut and clove oil...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Paintings
Watercolor
Early 2000s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
A corner fruit stand in Valencia, Spain, catches the eye with its sunlit yellow awning and vibrant display of seasonal produce. Nestled at the base of a terra...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Sri Rao depicts a secluded farm away from the busy streets. A gravel road winds through the lush bushes and quaint farmhouses, g...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Cardboard
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Gouache
Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Nielsen presents a delicate portrait of a nude woman. The model stretches into a quiet moment but with a dash of fantasy. Lisa offers a tender mom...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Charcoal, Watercolor, Archival Paper, Pastel, Gouache
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Gouache
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Masonite, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Fernando Garcia paints heavy rain over a field of yellow flowers. He expresses through elements and colors an atmosphere of tranquility. "A serene land...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Paintings
Acrylic