Appreciating Impressionism
- Jun 2, 2020
- 8 min read
Personal regard for the nineteenth century movement.
If music is the ornament of time, art is of space. Both art and music, are humanity’s expressions of their creative minds. Therefore, it is assured their journey through time is never a straight one. After all, creativity is boundless and it will go wherever it chooses. People’s preferences are always changing from time to time. Those preferences, are what is called an art movement and it is specific to a time range and place. Art movements are motivated as the society experiences a shift, either in its paradigm or its conditions. One could easily spot the differences between an eighteenth-century work like Oath of the Horatii with Impression, Soleil Levant from the nineteenth century. Or even if you are a painting aficionado, you already knew which art movement it belongs to. Oath of the Horatii are made when the art movement of Neoclassicism took place. Meanwhile Impression, Soleil Levant as written in its name, are made in the course of the Impressionism era.
Left/Top: Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David; Right/Bottom: Impression, Soleil Levant by Claude Monet
Maybe some of you never heard about an art movement called impressionism. Impressionism started in nineteenth century France, at that time, the Western art world was centered in Paris. The most prestigious art exhibitions were held there and the most extensive galleries were located there. Thin but distinguishable brush strokes are one of the most easily seen characteristic of impressionism. It also differs from previous movement, with the depiction of ordinary scenes, with its subjects not coming from the bible or the royalty. Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, and Alfred Sisley are some of the major figures during this period.
A few years ago, I started having interest in the world of art, especially paintings. At first, impressionist paintings did not catch my attention. But slowly, the appeal of impressionist works grew in the way, as I discovered and viewed more and more. The movement, are special in their own way. Their beauty can be seen from different aspects, from their overall looks, the artist’ interpretation, and my personal perception. But as it says, beauty is subjective, and so it is much accepted that each person can have their own response.
I consider impressionist painters, like Monet, are a master of his class. The first time I checked and observed impressionist works, I found it being beautiful in a delicate manner. The colors and techniques employed to make an impressionist artwork are exceptional. Aesthetics has always been crucial in art. Being able to be appreciated by the eyes is important when creating a piece. Impressionism, from what I considered myself, should be regarded in an open-minded definition of artistry. If you deem a beautiful painting as one with lifelike subjects, it will be harder for you to appreciate impressionist works. Impressionist’ aesthetics standards are a world away from its predecessors, like romanticism and renaissance. The subjects are still the natural world, but impressionist works does not strive to be an authentic portray of it. Impressionist philosophy emphasizes emotion and the canvas functions as the artist’ medium for their perception of the subjects.
Visible from the application of color, paintings made from this era employed a more vibrant, lighter, and creamier palette. The use of dark colors, are rare and even if it is used, are almost never involving pitch black. Dark colors are frequently supplemented with brighter surroundings.
From the brushwork, you can easily identify that impressionist works is blurry. The blurry effects are obtained from the soft mixture of colors from the subject’s surface with their surroundings. Those areas with their color mixed, tricks the eye as if they belong to both worlds, therefore illustrating motion. Differing from other art movements, where the artist painted clear fine lines to give shape to the subjects. The technique of manipulating form and color is used by impressionist painters to shape movement. This dynamism is one of the trademarks of impressionist artworks. Movement in landscape impressionist paintings are usually naturally initiated, such as the effects of the blowing wind. Paintings involving human subjects depicts ordinary situations, instead of awkward unnatural poses. Instead of using exactness as a tool to portray its subjects, impressionism strive to use the perception of motion. This leaves the viewer to a fenceless vision of the overall painting, rather than fixing it on a specific point the painter wants them to understand the painting. The viewers are presented with more choices on how they envision the works.
Of course, dynamism also comes at a cost. As there are less or even no distinction between the objects in the painting other than color, less objects are available to be added to the scene. This limits painters when it comes to communicating with the viewers using symbolism. It also limits the painters especially when painting an indoor setting, as recreating those scenes involves hefty amounts of manmade objects and features. Portrait paintings made during impressionism don’t seem real, as closeup human features are usually monotonous in color and requires distinct lines to draw the details. Impressionist painters who painted portraits mostly resorts back to using lines to form the subjects but it is rarely utilized for other objects and the background. Except when the post-impressionist painters like van Gogh has managed to paint portrait paintings in his own version. Impressionist painters devised their own solution to alleviate the problems, they created a nonconventional composition used by their older counterparts. Impressionist works leave sizable amount of open space. Through this, they could complement with their inability to delve into the details of human features and manmade objects. The subjects’ role as the center of attention are reduced as they now act as a part of a larger frame.
Impressionist paintings’ aesthetics spotlight their skillful depiction of light. One of the impressionist painters known for the lighting in his works is Monet. His House of Parliament series of paintings have the sun positioned precisely at the time of making, the building’s shadow and the sunlight reflection casted on River Thames showed his ability in exhibiting radiance. His works are oriented on using the sun as the source of light, as most of the works are landscapes. Unlike previous styles, shadows are not painted in black, as impressionist painters avoid the color. The shadow is mostly colored in deeper shades of blue to cohere with the lighter scheme. Its play of light is also seen on the reflection of objects, especially the color and form of the reflection. This reflection is mostly visible in paintings involving bodies of water, where the form is disrupted by refraction. Meanwhile an object’s color of reflection is not the same as the real counterpart, the colors are carefully combined to create the reverse form.
There are reasons that fueled the art of painting to change its course over time. Why the impressionism came to be like it is seen now. Impressionism, just as other art movements, are formed by the changes which the world experienced throughout the late nineteenth century. Certainly, human creative capabilities also play a part in creating impressionism, but it is also much driven by the environmental conditions at that time. During the 1870s, the world was still experiencing the industrial revolution, marked with expanding industries, railroads expansion, and rapid urbanization. Impressionism came to be the artist’ longing for nature. The revolution has turned the usual sights of land, with industrial town springing up and slums surrounding capital cities. The diversity of color and open composition seems as if it is an expression of the artist’ yearning for simpler times, to anew the appreciation of nature, contrasting with the ironically inhumane condition of the paved environment. Impressionist liberal use of colors was made possible due to the technology advancement in that time. Spread of artificial pigments and paint manufacturing meant that there are more things to spread on the palette. As available pigments have more variety and becomes cheaper, painters could experiment more on other colors rarely used before.
From 1816, the art world was shaken and forever changed by the invention of the camera. Even though starting slowly, photography posed more and more challenge to painting. Before that, painting was the only means to capture and display the visual world. Hence it made sense that paintings are valued better if they are able to depict scenes as in real life. Arrival of camera changed the notion that only paintings are able to do so. The modern device could portray real life sight in as it is, even more lifelike than paintings made by Old Masters. Consequently, impressionist’ stray from reality made sense. Why should painters strive to compete with a device born to capture scenes with more accuracy than any artwork ever made? Impressionist painter changed the paradigm of painting, instead of copying, what they aim to make are their impression of the subjects.
Several of the movement’s founders were trying to defy the traditional values vigorously held by art schools. The grand exhibition arranged by the Paris Salon has long set the criteria to separate good and bad paintings. The Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris values renaissance principles and rejected any form of steps towards change. These artists, including Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Sisley, and several others, are who fought the wave. They want to break free from the rigid principles of old, and embrace new unexplored ways. Even if that meant their paintings are rejected from exhibitions and critiqued harshly. These events formed the philosophies behind impressionism. It defined the techniques applied, subjects drawn, composition created, and ultimately the painting itself.
For me, impressionist paintings are more than solely a canvas. They hold a personal meaning. They are treasure troves not only outside, but also inside. These works of art are able to reach me through personal interpretation. Obviously, I consider impressionist paintings to be visually attractive. Especially how it created the perception of motion and brilliance in illumination is a sweet treat for the eye. It is a great way to bring the painting to life with the dream-like world of impressionism.
Impressionist works not only excel in form, but also in distinguishing themselves by giving a personal meaning. What lays beyond the canvas played a considerable part. Impressionist paintings are mediums for nostalgia. Whenever I viewed impressionist works, especially landscape impressionist works, it resembles the coveting for the past. The open and casual atmosphere is something that impressionist paintings able to deliver from their relaxed composition. Impressionism acts like a train to the time and place long gone, where our perception of the world was still innocent. In the olden days when I, or to an extend we, could wander freely in borderless fields. Bringing to the moments long gone, when everything we do is out of curiosity, and eventually leading to wondrous awe. Arriving in the place where we used to observe passing seasons while listening genuine poem-like words. Bob Ross once said, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents”, those words represent the feelings impressionist paintings are able to convey. So surreal it is, I wander if those nostalgias are truly memories or a mind’s construct. Days gone by and leaving the seat from impressionist’ diorama would make me ponder full of melancholy. Nevertheless, still a journey worth experiencing.
Impressionist paintings are wonders of mankind’s creative expressions. Techniques of translating motion etched the limits of artistry. Its painters orchestrated graceful dance of colors featuring nature’s complex creation, light. Impressionism’s layers of paint tell stories of humanity’s hope and longings. More than a painting, impressionism brought me to the stage where others could not, transporting myself to the time where reality and imagination resides in peace. Long gone it is, but still forever fluttering.
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