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.
Artist Comments
A bride, still clad in her wedding dress, sits alone in a bar, clutching a drink. This scene captures a serene moment of introspection, subtly contrasting with ...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
A wildly colorful panorama from the San Juan Mountains in Colorado unfolds in warm layers, with clouds casting cool blue shadows in contrast. The greens of the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1990s Impressionist Mixed Media
Monotype
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Wood, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Pan...
1970s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Oil
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 pai...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
This vibrant seascape depicts the dynamic reflections of trees and clouds on the gentle waves. Several layers of fluid washes of oil paint and ink impart a drea...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
A snow-covered mountain basks in sunlight while thin clouds drift in the crisp and cold air. Adding depth and contrast to the scene, shadows fall in bright blue...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
An enthralling view of the Red Mountain Pass during the fall season displays rich hues of greens and yellows. The dark, shifting clouds and turning aspens add a...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Epoxy Resin, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 1900s Impressionist Mixed Media
Gouache
1920s Impressionist Mixed Media
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache, Pencil
1920s Impressionist Mixed Media
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Crystal DiPietro paints a sweeping view of a western ravine gloriously gleaming in the sun's warmth. "At the bottom of a beautiful desert canyon, I was surprised and thrilled to discover a lovely field of desert poppies...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Early 2000s Impressionist Mixed Media
Canvas, Cotton, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Wood, Wood Pan...
Artist Comments
Artist Keith Thomson exhibits a budding romance between a fair lady and a knight in shining armor. A spotlight shines on the subjects, shaping the whimsical ton...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Keith Thomson depicts the Mets mascot riding the train—once again establishing his recurring narrative of unexpected commuters in transit. "With their ...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Keith Thomson depicts a family held spellbound by a movie. They incidentally watch Sharknado 5: Global Swarming with their sizable dog fully invested. Th...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
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
Artist Comments
Artist Carey Parks exhibits people caught in an intense conversation. "About what? Nobody knows," says Carey. She references her phot...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1980s Impressionist Mixed Media
Permanent Marker
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
2010s Impressionist Mixed Media
Paper, Acrylic
1960s Impressionist Mixed Media
Conté, Pastel, Mixed Media, Tempera, Watercolor
1960s Impressionist Mixed Media
Conté, Pastel, Acrylic, Watercolor
Artist Comments
Artist Keith Thomson depicts a scene from a traditional pizza parlor from the perspective of a passerby. A charming sight from a ho-hum summer afternoon in a ra...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
1970s Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Jennifer Ross presents a still life of a bird's nest on a light and airy background. The layered textures contrast the simplicity of the composition. She uses her eggshell collage technique on the eggs and sculpts the strands of the nest with an acrylic gel medium. "It's about starting to see life in an entirely new way," says Jennifer.
About the Artist
Artist Jennifer Ross creates intimate portraits of birds, nests and horses. Jennifer grew up surrounded by the art of her mother and grandfather. Her attempt to follow in their footsteps presented detours, however, and she ended up working in art galleries selling other's work. But her desire to paint continued to grow throughout the years. In 2008, a gift certificate to a local art store turned into a life-changing event. Jennifer found inspiration in a collection of antique prints...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Mixed Media
Plaster, Wood
Artist Comments
Artist Joe Giuffrida displays a view of the beautiful villas at Lake Como. He creates transparency in the foliage, lake, and sky by mixing gouache and watercolo...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Mixed Media
Epoxy Glue, Archival Ink, Canvas, Varnish
