Impressionism is a trend in art that arose in the second half of the 19th century. His main goal was the transmission of fleeting, changeable impressions.
The emergence of impressionism is associated with science: with the latest discoveries of optics and color theory.
This direction affected almost all types of art, but it manifested itself most clearly in painting, where the transfer of color and light was the basis of the work of impressionist artists.
Term meaning
Impressionism(fr. Impressionnisme) from impression - impression). This style of painting appeared in France in the late 1860s. He was represented by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, Alfred Sisley, Jean Frederic Bazille. But the term itself appeared in 1874, when Monet's painting “Impression. Rising Sun» (1872). In the title of the painting, Monet meant that he conveys only his fleeting impression of the landscape.
C. Monet “Impression. Sunrise" (1872). Marmottan Monet Museum, Paris
Later, the term "impressionism" in painting began to be understood more broadly: scrutiny nature in terms of color and lighting. The goal of the Impressionists was to depict instantaneous, as it were, “random” situations and movements. To do this, they used various techniques: complex angles, asymmetry, fragmentation of compositions. The picture of the Impressionist artists becomes, as it were, a frozen moment of a constantly changing world.
The artistic method of the Impressionists
Most popular genres Impressionists - landscapes and scenes from urban life. They were always written "in the open air", i.e. directly from nature, in nature, without sketches and preliminary sketches. The Impressionists noticed and were able to convey on canvas colors and shades that are usually invisible. with a simple eye and an inattentive spectator. For example, transfer of blue color in the shadows or pink - at sunset. They decomposed complex tones into their constituent pure colors of the spectrum. From this, their painting turned out to be light and quivering. Impressionist painters applied paint in separate strokes, in a free and even careless manner, so their paintings are best viewed from a distance - it is with this look that the effect of a lively flickering of colors is created.
The Impressionists abandoned the contour, replacing it with small separate and contrasting strokes.
K. Pissarro, A. Sisley and C. Monet preferred landscapes and urban scenes. O. Renoir liked to depict people in the bosom of nature or in the interior. French Impressionism did not raise philosophical and social problems. They did not turn to biblical, literary, mythological, historical subjects, which were inherent in official academism. Instead, on paintings an image of everyday life and modernity appeared; the image of people in motion, while relaxing or having fun. Their main subjects are flirting, dancing, people in cafes and theaters, boat trips, beaches and gardens.
The Impressionists tried to catch a fleeting impression, the smallest changes in each subject, depending on the lighting and time of day. In this regard, Monet's cycles of paintings "Haystacks", "Rouen Cathedral" and "London's Parliament" can be considered the highest achievement.
C. Monet "Cathedral in Rouen in the sun" (1894). Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
"Rouen Cathedral" is a series of 30 paintings by Claude Monet, which represent views of the cathedral depending on the time of day, year and lighting. This cycle was written by the artist in the 1890s. The cathedral allowed him to show the relationship between the constant, solid structure of the building and the changing, easily playful light that changes our perception. Monet focuses on separate fragments Gothic cathedral and chooses the portal, the tower of St. Martin and the tower of Albane. He is only interested in the play of light on stone.
C. Monet "Rouen Cathedral, West Portal, Foggy Weather" (1892). Musee d'Orsay, Paris
C. Monet “Rouen Cathedral, portal and tower, morning effect; white harmony" (1892-1893). Musee d'Orsay, Paris
C. Monet "Rouen Cathedral, portal and tower in the sun, harmony of blue and gold" (1892-1893). Musee d'Orsay, Paris
Following France, impressionist artists appeared in England and the USA (James Whistler), in Germany (Max Lieberman, Lovis Corinth), in Spain (Joaquin Sorolla), in Russia (Konstantin Korovin, Valentin Serov, Igor Grabar).
About the work of some impressionist artists
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
Claude Monet, photograph 1899
French painter, one of the founders of impressionism. Born in Paris. He was fond of drawing since childhood, at the age of 15 he proved to be a talented cartoonist. TO landscape painting he was introduced by Eugene Boudin - french artist, a forerunner of Impressionism. Monet later entered the university at the Faculty of Arts, but became disillusioned and left him, enrolling in the painting studio of Charles Gleyre. In the studio, he met the artists Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Frédéric Bazille. They were practically peers, held similar views on art, and soon formed the backbone of the Impressionist group.
Monet's fame was brought by the portrait of Camille Donsier, written in 1866 ("Camille, or a portrait of a lady in a green dress"). Camilla in 1870 became the artist's wife.
C. Monet "Camilla" ("The Lady in Green") (1866). Kunsthalle, Bremen
C. Monet "Walk: Camille Monet with her son Jean (Woman with an umbrella)" (1875). National Gallery art, Washington
In 1912, doctors diagnosed K. Monet with a double cataract, he had to undergo two operations. Having lost the lens in his left eye, Monet regained his sight, but began to see ultraviolet as blue or purple color, which is why his paintings have acquired new colors. For example, when painting the famous "Water Lilies", Monet saw lilies bluish in the ultraviolet range, for other people they were just white.
C. Monet "Water Lilies"
The artist died on December 5, 1926 in Giverny and was buried in the local church cemetery.
Camille Pissarro (1830-1903)
C. Pissarro "Self-portrait" (1873)
French painter, one of the first and most consistent representatives of impressionism.
Born on the island of St. Thomas (West Indies), in a bourgeois family of a Sephardic Jew and a native of the Dominican Republic. Until the age of 12 he lived in the West Indies, at the age of 25 he moved to Paris with his whole family. Here he studied at the School of Fine Arts and at the Academy of Suisse. His teachers were Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet and Charles-Francois Daubigny. Started from rural scenery and views of Paris. Pissarro had a strong influence on the Impressionists, independently developing many of the principles that formed the basis of their style of painting. He was friends with the artists Degas, Cezanne and Gauguin. Pizarro was the only participant in all 8 Impressionist exhibitions.
He died in 1903 in Paris. He was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery.
Already in early works the artist paid special attention to the depiction of illuminated objects in air environment. Light and air have since become the leading theme in the work of Pissarro.
C. Pissarro “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny" (1897)
in 1890, Pizarro became interested in the technique of pointillism (separate application of strokes). But after a while he returned to his usual manner.
IN last years Camille Pissarro's eyesight deteriorated noticeably. But he continued to work and created a series of views of Paris, filled with artistic emotions.
K. Pissarro "Street in Rouen"
The unusual angle of some of his paintings is explained by the fact that the artist painted them from hotel rooms. This series was one of the highest achievements of Impressionism in the transfer of light and atmospheric effects.
Pissarro also painted in watercolor and created a series of etchings and lithographs.
Here are a few of his interesting sayings on the art of impressionism: "Impressionists on the right way, their art is healthy, it's based on feelings and it's honest."
“Happy is he who can see beauty in ordinary things, where others see nothing!”
C. Pissarro "The First Frost" (1873)
Russian impressionism
Russian impressionism developed from late XIX-early 20th century It affected the impact of creativity french impressionists. But Russian impressionism has a pronounced national specifics and in many respects does not coincide with textbook ideas about classical French impressionism. Objectivity and materiality predominate in the painting of the Russian Impressionists. It has a greater load of meaning and less dynamization. Russian impressionism is closer than French impressionism to realism. The French Impressionists emphasized the impression of what they saw, while the Russians added display internal state artist. The work was to be completed in one session.
Some incompleteness of Russian Impressionism creates the "awe of life" that was characteristic of them.
Impressionism includes the work of Russian artists: A. Arkhipov, I. Grabar, K. Korovin, F. Malyavin, N. Meshcherin, A. Murashko, V. Serov, A. Rylov and others.
V. Serov "Girl with peaches" (1887)
This picture is considered the standard of Russian impressionism in the portrait.
Valentin Serov "Girl with Peaches" (1887). Canvas, oil. 91×85 cm State Tretyakov Gallery
The picture was painted in the estate of Savva Ivanovich Mamontov in Abramtsevo, which he acquired from the daughter of the writer Sergei Aksakov in 1870. The portrait depicts 12-year-old Vera Mamontova. The girl is drawn sitting at the table; she is wearing a pink blouse with a dark blue bow; on the table is a knife, peaches and leaves.
“All I wanted was freshness, that special freshness that you always feel in nature and you don’t see in pictures. I wrote More than a month and tortured her, the poor one, to death, I really wanted to preserve the freshness of painting with complete completeness - that's how the old masters ”(V. Serov).
Impressionism in other art forms
In literature
In literature, impressionism as a separate trend did not take shape, but its features were reflected in naturalism And symbolism .
Edmond and Jules Goncourt. Photo
Principles naturalism can be traced in the novels of the Goncourt brothers and George Eliot. But the term "naturalism" was first used to refer to own creativity Emile Zola. The writers Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Huysmans and Paul Alexis were grouped around Zola. After the publication of the collection Medan Evenings (1880) with frank stories about the disasters of the Franco-Prussian war (including Maupassant's story Dumpling), the name of the Medan group was assigned to them.
Emile Zola
The naturalistic principle in literature has often been criticized for its lack of artistry. For example, I. S. Turgenev wrote about one of Zola's novels that "there is a lot of digging in chamber pots." Gustave Flaubert was also critical of naturalism.
Zola maintained friendly relations with many impressionist painters.
Symbolists used symbols, understatement, hints, mystery, mystery. The main mood captured by the symbolists was pessimism, reaching to despair. Everything “natural” seemed to be only “appearance”, which had no independent artistic value.
Thus, impressionism in literature was expressed by the author's private impression, the rejection of an objective picture of reality, the image of every moment. In fact, this led to the absence of plot and history, the replacement of thought with perception, and reason with instinct.
G. Courbet "Portrait of P. Verlaine" (circa 1866)
A striking example of poetic impressionism is Paul Verlaine's collection Romances Without Words (1874). In Russia, the influence of impressionism was experienced by Konstantin Balmont and Innokenty Annensky.
V. Serov "Portrait of K. Balmont" (1905)
Innokenty Annensky. Photo
These sentiments also affected dramaturgy. In the plays there is a passive perception of the world, an analysis of moods, mental states. Dialogues concentrate fleeting disparate impressions. These features are characteristic of the work of Arthur Schnitzler.
In music
Musical impressionism developed in France in the last quarter XIX V. - the beginning of the XX century. It was most clearly expressed in the works of Eric Satie, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Eric Satie
Musical impressionism is close to impressionism in french painting. They not only have common roots but also causal relationships. Impressionist composers sought and found not only analogies, but also expressive means in the works of Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, Puvis de Chavannes and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Of course, the means of painting and the means musical art can be connected with each other only with the help of special, subtle associative parallels that exist only in consciousness. If you look at the blurry image of Paris "in the autumn rain" and the same sounds, "muffled by the noise of falling drops", then here you can only talk about the property artistic image but not the real picture.
Claude Debussy
Debussy writes "Clouds", "Prints" (the most figurative of which, a watercolor sound sketch - "Gardens in the rain"), "Images", "Reflections on the water", which evoke direct associations with famous painting Claude Monet Impression: Sunrise. In the words of Mallarmé, the Impressionist composers learned to “hear the light”, to convey in sounds the movement of water, the vibration of leaves, the breath of wind and the refraction of sunlight in the evening air.
Maurice Ravel
M. Ravel has direct connections between painting and music in his sound-pictorial "The Game of Water", the cycle of pieces "Reflections", the piano collection "Rustle of the Night".
The Impressionists created works of refined art and at the same time clear in expressive means, emotionally restrained, conflict-free and strict in style.
In sculpture
O. Rodin "The Kiss"
Impressionism in sculpture was expressed in the free plasticity of soft forms, which creates difficult game light on the surface of the material and a feeling of incompleteness. In the poses of the sculptural characters, the moment of movement and development is captured.
O. Rodin. Photograph 1891
This direction includes the sculptural works of O. Rodin (France), Medardo Rosso (Italy), P.P. Trubetskoy (Russia).
V. Serov "Portrait of Paolo Trubetskoy"
Pavel (Paolo) Trubetskoy(1866-1938) - sculptor and artist, worked in Italy, USA, England, Russia and France. Born in Italy. Illegitimate son Russian emigrant, Prince Pyotr Petrovich Trubetskoy.
Since childhood, I have been sculpting and painting on my own. He had no education. IN initial period of his work, he created portrait busts, works of small plastic arts, participated in competitions for the creation of large sculptures.
P. Trubetskoy "Monument Alexander III", Saint Petersburg
The first exhibition of Paolo Trubetskoy's works took place in the USA in 1886. In 1899 the sculptor came to Russia. He takes part in the competition for the creation of a monument to Alexander III and, unexpectedly for everyone, receives the first prize. This monument caused and continues to cause conflicting assessments. It is hard to imagine a more static and heavy monument. And only a positive assessment of the imperial family allowed the monument to take the appropriate place - they found similarities with the original in the sculptural image.
Critics believed that Trubetskoy worked in the spirit of "obsolete impressionism".
Trubetskoy’s image of the brilliant Russian writer turned out to be more “impressionistic”: there is clearly movement here - in the folds of the shirt, the flowing beard, the turn of the head, there is even a feeling that the sculptor managed to catch the tension of L. Tolstoy’s thought.
P. Trubetskoy "Bust of Leo Tolstoy" (bronze). State Tretyakov Gallery
Impressionism is a trend mainly in French painting, characterized by the desire to convey fleeting impressions, richness of colors, psychological nuances, mobility and variability of the atmosphere of the surrounding world by means of art.
oily smears, bright colors, domestic scenes life, candid poses and, most importantly, an accurate description of the light ... Just a small fraction of the characteristics of one of the most popular artistic movements. in France in mid-nineteenth century. Prior to its emergence, still lifes, portraits and even landscapes were usually created by artists in their studios.
For the first time in the history of art, artists made it a rule for themselves to paint not from the studio, but under open sky: on the bank of the river, in the field, in the forest. Trying to express their immediate impressions of things as accurately as possible, the Impressionists created new method painting.
PARQUETERS, GUSTAVE CAIBOTT
One of the first paintings depicting the urban working class. Caillebotte exemplifies a continuing interest in Everyday life. Notice how accurately the artist captured the light coming through the window and the shadows. The painting is as realistic as a photograph, but was nonetheless rejected by the most prestigious art exhibitions and salons: the depiction of semi-naked working-class men was considered a "vulgar subject".
Impressionism is a direction in painting that originated in France in XIX-XX centuries, which is an artistic attempt to capture some moment of life in all its variability and mobility. Impressionist paintings are like a qualitatively washed-out photograph, reviving in fantasy the continuation of the story seen. In this article, we'll take a look at 10 of the most famous impressionists peace. Fortunately, talented artists much more than ten, twenty or even a hundred, so let's focus on those names that you need to know for sure.
In order not to offend either the artists or their admirers, the list is given in Russian alphabetical order.
1. Alfred Sisley
This French painter English origin considered the most famous landscape painter second half of XIX century. There are more than 900 paintings in his collection, of which the most famous are “Country Alley”, “Frost in Louveciennes”, “Bridge in Argenteuil”, “Early Snow in Louveciennes”, “Lawns in Spring”, and many others.
2. Van Gogh
Known around the world sad story about his ear (by the way, he did not cut off the whole ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gon became popular only after his death. And in his life he was able to sell a single painting, 4 months before his death. It is said that he was both an entrepreneur and a priest, but often ended up in psychiatric hospitals due to depression, so all the rebelliousness of his existence resulted in legendary works.
3. Camille Pissarro
Pissarro was born on the island of St. Thomas, in a family of bourgeois Jews, and was one of the few impressionists whose parents encouraged his hobby and soon sent him to Paris to study. Most of all, the artist liked nature, and he depicted it in all colors, and more precisely, Pissarro had a special talent for choosing the softness of colors, compatibility, after which air seemed to appear in the paintings.
4. Claude Monet
From childhood, the boy decided that he would become an artist, despite the prohibitions of the family. Having moved to Paris on his own, Claude Monet plunged into gray days hard life: two years in the service in the armed forces in Algeria, litigation with creditors due to poverty, illness. However, one gets the feeling that the difficulties did not oppress, but rather inspired the artist to create such bright pictures, as "Impression, Sunrise", "Houses of Parliament in London", "Bridge to Europe", "Autumn at Argenteuil", "On the Shores of Trouville", and many others.
5. Konstantin Korovin
It's nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, one can proudly place our compatriot - Konstantin Korovin. Passionate love for nature helped him intuitively give unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the combination of suitable colors, width of strokes, choice of theme. It is impossible to pass by his paintings "Pier in Gurzuf", "Fish, wine and fruit", " Autumn landscape", "Moonlight night. Winter” and a series of his works dedicated to Paris.
6. Paul Gauguin
Until the age of 26, Paul Gauguin did not even think about painting. He was an entrepreneur and had big family. However, when I first saw the paintings of Camille Pissarro, I decided that I would certainly begin to paint. Over time, the artist's style has changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are "Garden in the Snow", "At the Cliff", "On the Beach in Dieppe", "Nude", "Palms in Martinique" and others.
7. Paul Cezanne
Cezanne, unlike most of his colleagues, became famous during his lifetime. He managed to organize his own exhibition and gain considerable income from it. People knew a lot about his paintings - he, like no one else, learned to combine the play of light and shadow, made a loud emphasis on right and wrong geometric shapes, the severity of the subject of his paintings was in harmony with romance.
8. Pierre Auguste Renoir
Until the age of 20, Renoir worked as a fan decorator for his older brother, and only then he moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the road of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of a sentimental portrait, among his most outstanding works- "On the terrace", "Walk", "Portrait of actress Jeanne Samary", "Lodge", "Alfred Sisley and his wife", "On the swing", "Frog" and many others.
9. Edgar Degas
If you haven't heard anything about Blue Dancers, Ballet Rehearsals, ballet school"And" Absinthe "- hurry to learn more about the work of Edgar Degas. The selection of original colors, unique themes for paintings, the feeling of movement of the picture - all this and much more made Degas one of the most famous artists peace.
10. Edouard Manet
Do not confuse Manet with Monet - these are two different person who worked at the same time and in the same artistic direction. Manet was always attracted by everyday scenes, unusual appearances and types, as if by chance "caught" moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among the famous paintings of Manet: "Olympia", "Breakfast on the Grass", "Bar at the Folies Bergère", "Flutist", "Nana" and others.
If you have even the slightest opportunity to see the paintings of these masters live, you will fall in love with impressionism forever!
Alexandra Skripkina,
It is now that sky-high sums are offered for their work, now they are canon and dogma, but when the 19th century had only overcome half of its path, at first everything turned out deplorably. Impressionism, paintings by young artists served as a pretext for scandals and general ridicule.
Canon, Painting and the Paris Salon
In those days, there were strict rules for painters in France. A professional jury carefully selected works for the exhibitions of the famous Salon. Encouraged to follow academic art, classic stories, rules and regulations. The bourgeois Salon opened a bright road to the future, which meant the favor of the older generation of artists, the attention of the press, and popularity among customers. Salon award - the path to fame, rejected work - blasphemy, scandal, food for attacks by journalists and poverty. And if you are young and bold, but you are sick of writing portraits of nobles and hackneyed plots? If there is a calling to draw differently, because you see it differently, what should you do?
Outcasts
In 1863, the jury rejected so many paintings that Emperor Napoleon III became suspicious and proposed an alternative. The Salon of the Outcasts opened. The spectator crowd went to see the outlandish exposition and continued to make fun. Stereotypes do not disappear on their own, they are broken, and this takes time...
A small group of artists rebelled against dead dogma and conservatism. The young creative generation was puzzled by the search for new venues for exhibitions, and spent hours discussing the tasks and goals of painting in the famous Guerbois cafe. Later, each of the painters will go his own way, but so far they have been united common goals and tasks: to break through, gain recognition, develop a common theoretical platform.
And here is the first serious independent step - in the spring of 1873, an exhibition in the studio of the photographer Nadar. 30 artists presented 165 works to the refined public... And again, bewilderment! The viewers are surprised by the manner of writing: the abruptness of the stroke, the blurring of the contours, the unusual color scheme, as if the artist is in a hurry. In the works, negligence, incompleteness, understatement is seen. It strikes close attention to the open air, where air, shadow and partial shade reign, and to the street episode. The view of the creators is focused on the moment of being. All this causes sharp criticism and misunderstanding. Rebels are accused of immorality, unscrupulousness. Moreover, they dare to rethink the unshakable values of art: they depict the life of the street, the square, the life of ordinary people! All this, according to the inhabitants of the bourgeoisie and aristocrats, is wrong, petty and everyday.
Oil Paintings. Impressionism Monet
Monet calls his new canvas “Impression. Sunrise". Some journalist snatches it out of context: impressionism, paintings, impression. The general tone of the statements, as usual, is dismissive and ironic. Artists accept the challenge and name the new trend with this supposedly mocking word.
The heyday of impressionism falls on the 70s - 80s. Its brightest representatives are Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley and many others.
Edouard Manet in the camp of the enemy
Paintings in the style of impressionism by Edouard Manet permanently caused bewilderment of the public. He, like no one else, knew how to provoke high-profile scandals, although he himself was a product of the same environment that fiercely attacked him. Manet was well brought up, educated, inherited a fortune that gave him the opportunity not to worry about his daily bread. The painting “The Incident at the Bullfight” was so mercilessly attacked by the press that the painter lost his nerve and tore the work to pieces. Acute rejection of the public was caused by his paintings "Olympia" and "Breakfast on the Grass".
The personal exposition, organized in the pavilion of the World Exhibition in Paris in 1867 at his own expense, was completely booed. Young Emile Zola is almost the only one who spoke in defense. It was he who first expressed his thoughts aloud about the artist's innovation, perspicaciously declaring that the place for his paintings in the Louvre itself. Edouard Manet never exhibited with fellow Impressionists, he believed that his battlefield was the notorious Salon. Apparently, because he was not afraid to dictate his laws in a strange monastery, he got so much from critics.
Camille Pissarro: air, plein air and impressionism
Camille Pissarro believed that the main thing in painting is air. Thin, transparent, breathing light, fogs, rains and their presentiment. The air on his canvases is almost tangible. Pissarro entered the history of art as a singer of Paris and Rouen, rural and urban landscapes. The artist is considered one of the ideologists of impressionism. His friends are the great masters Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin. His life was not easy: he was in need, he was happily married, had many children and was fanatically devoted to art. A small garden saved him from poverty, in which his household grew vegetables and sold them in Paris. Only 5 years before the death of the artist, the family settled in the city on Rivoli Street, in a house overlooking the Louvre.
Pissarro was fascinated scenic views Rouen Cathedral by Claude Monet. He goes to the city and paints his Rouen, its streets and embankments. This is how one of his paintings “Epiceri Street, Rouen” appears (effect sunlight)" (1898). It is considered to be the most successful this particular work, where the lively movement of the market is embodied on the canvas against the backdrop of swift church spiers, leaving in a clear, as if washed, sky. The festive movement of the crowd, the bright color spots of the roofs, their piling up create a juicy polyphony, rhythm and sound of colors.
Amazing tube of paint
Why is this group of artists so insistently turning to plein air? Did other talented masters not think of it? It turns out that the new ideology of art is due to technical progress. Plein air was made possible by the invention of the paint tube. Now the paint in the lead tube can be closed with a lid and set aside. It will not dry out and will be suitable for use in the future. The artist may not be limited only to work indoors, but to paint on fresh air! This is the breakthrough! Now almost anything can become an object of art. Auguste Renoir wrote that thanks to this invention, impressionism played with new facets. The paintings of innovatory artists would not have been realized without progress.
Claude Monet and Rouen Cathedral: impressionism, paintings, photos
If we mentioned French city Rouen in the work of two great artists, it is impossible not to say about the series "Rouen Cathedral" by Claude Monet, which became a grandiose artistic epic of the end of the century. Monet was inspired by the idea to paint a majestic Gothic building (at that time the tallest cathedral in the world) in different times year, at different times of the day.
He worked on the masterpiece for more than 2 years since 1892. Monet watched the building and the changes taking place around it almost around the clock in a rented apartment overlooking the cathedral. At the same time, the master worked on several canvases: he was confused, dissatisfied, constantly destroyed what was written, again took up the canvas, left, returned, changed his home, painted to the point of exhaustion and bouts of insomnia. The idea devoured him ... Art critics believe that the artist introduced into painting, usually dealing with three dimensions, the fourth - time. If you suddenly need to name the famous paintings of impressionism as a trend, then this series is the most monumental. The artist planned to sell the entire series in one hand, but since the price was prohibitively high at that time, the canvases became the property of various collectors.
Russian Impressionists
The new trend found a response in Russia. Contemporaries recall that the young Konstantin Korovin was confused by the simple question of the teacher - the artist Polenov. The word "impressionism", the paintings of French painters of that time (that's what Polenov asked about) were unknown to him. For the first time, Korovin will be in Paris at the age of 27, he will see a manner of writing close to him and finally calm down - he is right and not alone! The work "Spanish Leonora and Ampara" is stored in Tretyakov Gallery. At one time, a coat worth 25 rubles was paid for the canvas with the artist. Such a case in the history of painting is far from unique. Konstantin Korovin, his friend Valentin Serov and the artist Igor Grabar are prominent representatives of impressionism in Russia at the end of the 19th century.
For our difficult era, combining a variety of styles and trends in art, the concept of " modern impressionism”, paintings by artists in this genre are more of a glorious past than the present. Now, alas, there are no world-famous names of people working in this style. Impressionism is the path that painting has already taken, and the beaten paths are easy to follow.
Impressionism (from the French " impression"- impression) is a direction in art (literature, painting, architecture), it appeared at the end early nineteenth XX century in France and quickly became widespread in other countries of the world. Followers of the new direction, who believed that academic, traditional techniques, for example, in painting or in architecture, cannot fully convey the fullness and the smallest details of the surrounding world, switched to the use of completely new techniques and methods, first of all in painting, then in literature and music. They made it possible to depict all the mobility and variability in the most vivid and natural way. real world through the transmission not of its photographic appearance, but through the prism of the authors' impressions and emotions about what they saw.
The author of the term "impressionism" is considered to be the French critic and journalist Louis Leroy, who, under the impression of visiting the exhibition of a group of young artists "Salon of the Outcasts" in 1874 in Paris, calls them impressionists in his feuilleton, a kind of "impressionists", and this statement is somewhat dismissive and ironic nature. Basis for the name this term was the painting by Claude Monet seen by the critic “Impression. Rising Sun". And although at first many of the paintings in this exhibition were sharply criticized and rejected, later this direction received wider recognition from the public and became popular all over the world.
Impressionism in painting
(Claude Monet "Boats on the beach")
The new style, manner and technique of the image were invented by French impressionist artists not on empty place, it is based on the experience and achievements of the artists of the most talented painters Renaissance: Rubens, Velazquez, El Greco, Goya. From them, the Impressionists took such methods of a more vivid and lively transmission of the world around them or the expressiveness of weather conditions, such as the use of intermediate tones, the use of bright or vice versa technique of dull strokes, large or small, characterized by abstractness. Adherents of the new direction in painting either completely abandoned the traditional academic manner of drawing, or completely remade the methods and methods of depiction in their own way, introducing such innovations as:
- Objects, objects or figures were depicted without a contour, it was replaced by small and contrasting strokes;
- A palette was not used for mixing colors, colors were selected that complemented each other and did not require merging. Sometimes the paint was squeezed onto the canvas directly from a metal tube, forming a pure, sparkling color with a brushstroke effect;
- The practical absence of black;
- Canvases were mostly painted on outdoors, from nature, in order to more vividly and expressively betray their emotions and impressions of what they saw;
- The use of paints with high covering power;
- Applying fresh strokes directly to the still wet surface of the canvas;
- Creating cycles paintings in order to study changes in light and shadow (Haystacks by Claude Monet);
- Lack of depiction of acute social, philosophical or religious issues, historical or significant events. The works of the Impressionists are filled with positive emotions, there is no place for gloom and heavy thoughts, there is only lightness, joy and beauty of every moment, sincerity of feelings and frankness of emotions.
(Edouard Manet "Reading")
And although not all artists of this direction adhered to particular accuracy in performing all the exact features of the impressionism style (Edouard Manet positioned himself as a separate artist and never participated in joint exhibitions (there were 8 in total from 1874 to 1886). Edgar Degas worked only in his own workshop) this did not prevent them from creating masterpieces visual arts still stored in best museums and private collections around the world.
Russian Impressionist painters
Being impressed by creative ideas French impressionists, Russian artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries create their original masterpieces of fine art, later known as common name"Russian impressionism".
(V. A. Serov "Girl with peaches")
His most prominent representatives are considered Konstantin Korovin ("Portrait of a Chorus Girl", 1883, "Northern Idyll", 1886), Valentin Serov ("Open Window. Lilac", 1886, "Girl with Peaches", 1887), Arkhip Kuindzhi ("North", 1879, "Dnepr in the morning" 1881), Abram Arkhipov ("North Sea", "Landscape. Study with a log house"), "late" impressionist Igor Grabar ("Birch Alley", 1940, "Winter Landscape", 1954) .
(Borisov-Musatov "Autumn Song")
The methods and manner of depiction inherent in impressionism took place in the work of such prominent Russian artists as Borisov-Musatov, Bogdanov Belsky, Nilus. Classical canons french impressionism in the paintings of Russian artists have undergone some changes, as a result of which this direction has acquired an original national specificity.
Foreign Impressionists
One of the first works made in the style of impressionism is the painting by Edouard Manet "Breakfast on the Grass", exhibited to the public in 1860 in the Paris Salon of the Rejected, where canvases that did not pass the selection could be dismantled Paris Salon arts. The picture, painted in a style that was radically different from the traditional manner of depiction, caused a lot of criticism and rallied the followers of the new artistic direction around the artist.
(Edouard Manet "In Papa Lathuille's Tavern")
The most famous impressionist artists include Edouard Manet ("Bar at the Folies Bergère", "Music at the Tuileries", "Breakfast on the Grass", "Papa Lathuille's", "Argenteuil"), Claude Monet ("Field of Poppies at Argenteuil ”, “Walk to the Cliff in Pourville”, “Women in the Garden”, “Lady with an Umbrella”, “Boulevard des Capucines”, a series of works “Water Lilies”, “Impression. Rising Sun”), Alfred Sisley (“Country Avenue” , "Frost at Louveciennes", "Bridge at Argenteuil", "Early Snow at Louveciennes", "Lawns in Spring"), Pierre-Auguste Renoir ("Breakfast of the Rowers", "Ball at the Moulin de la Galette", "Dance in the Village", "Umbrellas", "Dance at Bougival", "Girls at the Piano"), Camille Pizarro ("Montmartre Boulevard at Night", "Harvesting at Eragny", "Reapers Resting", "Garden in Pontoise", "Entrance to the Village of Voisin") , Edgar Degas (" Dance class”, “Rehearsal”, “Concert at the Ambassador Cafe”, “Opera Orchestra”, “Dancers in Blue”, “Absinthe Lovers”), Georges Seurat (“Sunday”, “Can-Can”, “Models”) and others.
(Paul Cezanne "Pierrot and Harlequin"")
Four artists in the 90s of the 19th century create a new direction in art based on impressionism and call themselves post-impressionists (Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec). Their work is characterized by the transfer not of fleeting sensations and impressions from the surrounding world, but by the knowledge of the true essence of things, which is hidden under their outer shell. Their most famous works: Paul Gauguin ("A mischievous joke", "La Orana Maria", "Jacob's struggle with an angel", " Yellow Christ”), Paul Cezanne (“Pierrot and Harlequin”, “Large Bathers”, “Lady in Blue”), Vincent van Gogh ( Starlight Night”, “Sunflowers”, “Irises”), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (“Laundress”, “Toilet”, “Learning to dance at the Moulin Rouge”).
Impressionism in sculpture
(Auguste Rodin "The Thinker")
As a separate trend in architecture, impressionism did not develop; you can find its individual features and signs in some sculptural compositions and monuments. sculpture given style gives free plasticity of soft forms, they create amazing game light on the surface of the figures and give some sense of incompleteness, sculptural characters are often depicted at the moment of movement. The works in this direction include sculptures of the famous French sculptor Auguste Rodin ("The Kiss", "Thinker", "Poet and Muse", "Romeo and Juliet", "Eternal Spring"), Italian artist and the sculptor Medardo Rosso (figures made of clay and plaster filled with wax to achieve a unique lighting effect: “The Gatekeeper and the Procuress”, “Golden Age”, “Motherhood”), the Russian brilliant nugget Pavel Trubetskoy (a bronze bust of Leo Tolstoy, a monument to Alexander III in St. Petersburg ).
