Impressionism was a revolutionary art movement that emerged in France during the late 19th century, fundamentally altering the course of art history. The term “Impressionism” was coined from a derogatory review of Claude Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise (1872), but it later became a defining label for a group of artists who sought to break free from the conventions of academic painting.

At the heart of Impressionism was a desire to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, moving away from the detailed realism and historical subjects favored by previous generations of artists. Instead, Impressionists painted contemporary scenes, landscapes, and everyday life, often working outdoors (en plein air) to capture natural light in real time. They focused on how light and color could be used to evoke mood and emotion rather than simply reproduce what the eye saw.

Key Characteristics of Impressionism:

1. Light and Color: Impressionists were fascinated by the changing effects of natural light, and they employed bright, vivid colors to capture these effects. Instead of mixing colors on a palette, they placed colors directly on the canvas, allowing the viewer’s eye to blend them together from a distance.
   
2. Loose Brushwork: Unlike the precise brushstrokes of earlier painting styles, Impressionists used loose, visible brushstrokes to create a sense of movement and spontaneity, which conveyed the transitory nature of the world around them.
   
3. Everyday Subjects: While traditional academic art often focused on historical, mythological, or religious subjects, Impressionists painted scenes from everyday life, such as gardens, cafes, and urban life. This made art more accessible to the general public.
   
4. Focus on Perception: Instead of depicting a static, idealized version of the world, Impressionists sought to represent how they perceived the world at a specific moment in time, often highlighting the impermanence of nature.
   

Major Artists and Their Contributions:

• Claude Monet: The leader of the movement, Monet’s works like Water Lilies and Impression, Sunrise are quintessential examples of the Impressionist approach to light and color.
  
• Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Known for his portraits and scenes of social gatherings, Renoir’s works, such as Luncheon of the Boating Party and Bal du moulin de la Galette, depict joyful moments infused with light and vibrant color.
  
• Edgar Degas: While Degas is often associated with Impressionism, he focused more on movement and the human form, creating dynamic images of ballet dancers and racehorses that emphasized the fleeting nature of motion.
  
• Camille Pissarro: As a mentor to younger artists, Pissarro’s work combined elements of Impressionism and post-Impressionism, influencing the direction of modern art with his urban and rural scenes.
  

Impact on Modern Art:

The Impressionist movement marked a dramatic shift in the way artists approached the process of painting and the subjects they chose to depict. It paved the way for subsequent movements, such as Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Abstract Art. The embrace of non-traditional techniques, the exploration of light and color, and the depiction of everyday life would influence generations of artists, from the early 20th century avant-garde to contemporary art.

Impressionism’s focus on individual perception and subjective experience contributed to the broader trend of modernism, which questioned established artistic norms and emphasized innovation and personal expression. The movement’s embrace of new perspectives and its emphasis on the visual rather than the conceptual laid the groundwork for abstraction and other experimental styles that followed.

Today, Impressionism continues to captivate audiences worldwide, with its works held in major museums and galleries. It remains one of the most beloved and influential movements in art history, representing a pivotal moment in the evolution of modern art.