Impressionist More Art
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
Artist Sri Rao captures a beautiful moment on a curved road in California. The sun tenderly embraces the scene with its radiance and warm...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Stanislav Sidorov captures a couple walking in a fairytale-looking town. The street light accentuates the building's medieval details and casts a dramati...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"This artwork is inspired by a vista I saw while on a camping trip to the Allegany Mountains," says artist David Thelen. The verdant trees bask in the sun's war...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
"Sometimes, when you lose your way in life, you will find yourself in a quiet place," says artist Jeff Fleming. In a secluded lake corner, he captures a scene b...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
A favorite subject of mine is the wetlands found hidden in a tall grass prairie. As marsh, lake, fen, and pond stretch to a distant tree line, my paintbrush heeds the challenge. I know time here is fleeting as the sun rises to its zenith.
About the Artist
When the land changes, Suzanne Massion;s paintings will remind you of the way it once was. She drives the back roads through the tall grass prairies and farmland of her native Illinois, stopping to paint en plein air when the moment strikes. She feels like she;s in a race to save a disappearing treasure as buildings burn or open space is paved over. Suzanne donates a portion of her sales to fund local land conservation efforts.
Water World...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
1970s Impressionist More Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Panel, Oil
Artist Comments
Passed by a pond in Vermont, which was interesting from every angle. I liked the birch trees in particular.
About the Artist
Janet Dyer doesn’t lik...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
I was on a rooftop parking garage looking for the last space to park, in a hurry for a meeting with friends, when I saw this sky. Yes, I was late getting together with my friends, and my wife was patient while I recorded all the colors and shapes. After I painted this she was happy with the painting, and so was I, for it worked out as a balanced canvas of real and abstract. My friends were ok too after I bought a round. Enjoy!
About the Artist
Benjamin Thomas has been painting since the late seventies, however for most of this time he was not exhibiting his work. About twelve years ago, Benjamin and his wife were at a gallery show for a friend and as they were leaving Ben’s wife, aka “The Muse,” told him to go back in. “Your work is as good as that--maybe even better,” she said. That night, Benjamin obeyed The Muse (lucky for us!). The impressionistic sweeps of sky and cloud in Benjamin’s paintings capture more than just an atmospheric quality, but also a heavenly interpretation of the landscape. There is a classical, mature style to the paintings, reminiscent of J.M.W. Turner. Benjamin is often inspired while bicycling, walking or motorcycling, taking in the scenery of Pittsburgh, PA. He takes photos of the scene and then works out the concept back in his studio. The large scale of the work matches the impression and mood that each scene conveys, and the light and shadow are carefully balanced to capture something mercurial and nostalgic. The work feels very measured and contemplated, but also full of passion, as if each piece is in pursuit of the joy of painting and the representation of natural beauty.
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
We often take a drive on the weekends out of the San Francisco Bay, to Monterey Bay. As my husband plays with the kids, I capture these moments with my palet...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The sun peaks through a break in the clouds, as it rises over the pastel-hued sea. This painting is on a gallery wrapped canvas, with warm black sides and co...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A garden teeming with Southern California sunflowers and peonies burst with delight. Its blooming inhabitants engage in a gentle dance, following the wind's com...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Inspired by an evening walk along the shores in the Hamptons, artist Olena Nabilsky captures the profound beauty of nature. Ocea...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero captures a sense of serenity, referencing a gentle river near his home. "Almost indistinguishable is the lone patient heron poised on a bo...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The artwork portrays the Big Sur region with a southward view of the California Coast and Los Angeles. Lush hills transition into ocher cliffs filled with poppi...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
2010s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Elizabeth Garat has always felt an affinity with trees. She came upon this view on a long walk during the golden hour in Ashland, Oregon. A gentle breeze...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Early 20th Century Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil, Panel
Artist Comments
Artist Olena Nabilsky loves painting fleeting moments in nature. She captures the fluffy, silvery pink clouds drifting over a ca...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The streams of light cast a warm and inviting atmosphere on the shore. Each sunset on the ocean tells a unique story. The harmony between the ever-changing cl...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
This painting is on Arches paper and will require framing for display.
About the Artist
Ronda Waiksnis captures abstracted, atmospheric movement th...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
1960s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
