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.
View of Water Lily Pads, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by a photograph taken by artist Jonelle Summerfield while kayaking, the painting captures the atmosphere of early summer. Warm evening light washes ove...
Oil
Houses in the Foothills, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A vineyard stretches across the foreground of this French countryside scene. Olive trees scatter across the landscape, while a few houses sit at the foothills. ...
Acrylic
An Unfrequented Harbor
Located in Milford, NH
A fine impressionist marine painting of a harbor on Cape Ann, Massachusetts by American artist Harry Aiken Vincent (1867-1933). Vincent was Born in...
Canvas, Oil
Candlelight amid the Falling Snow, Original Painting
By Judy Mudd
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Judy Mudd captures the hushed serenity of a winter scene in this watercolor. A small church stands quietly against a snowy backdrop, with candles glowing...
Watercolor
Where Flowers Bloom, Original Painting
By Kajal Zaveri
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The gentle arrival of spring brings color to the landscape. Created with thick, layered acrylic strokes and expressive texture, the piece blends abstraction wit...
Acrylic
Conservatory Pond, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero painted this scene after visiting Manhattan's Central Park on a spring morning. The sunlight creates contrasts in the dappled shadows on t...
Oil
Cocktail Hour Preparations, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
When artist Onelio Marrero attended a wedding reception, he observed the preparations unfolding in bright sunlight beneath a portico. He captured the quiet acti...
Oil
Flags Along the Avenue, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero captures a Midtown Manhattan scene in low winter afternoon light. The flags' vibrant red and blue attract attention, contrasting with the ...
Oil
Fishing, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Gray and orange tones spread across the sky and water, framing two fishermen at dawn. The sun, hidden behind clouds, cast a hint of light on the lake. The pair ...
Oil
Twilight Solitude, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Twilight Solitude depicts the serene beauty of Florida's Nature Coast. The golden sunset bathes the marsh in a warm, radiant glow, creating a tranquil atmosphere. The purple clouds o...
Acrylic
Cedar Vista, Original Painting
By David Forks
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Cedar trees, bluebonnets, and cacti grace a hilltop near Willow City, Texas. A body of water peeks through the edge of the grass-covered ground. The painterly...
Acrylic
New England Hillside
Located in Milford, NH
A fine landscape oil painting by American artist Harriet Randall Lumis (1870-1853). Lumis was born in Salem, CT, and ironically, her art background did not begin until after she marr...
Canvas, Oil
Pink Peonies, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Large pink peonies bloom, their bright yellow stamens adding a vibrant contrast. Deep green leaves curl around each blossom, enhancing their lush beauty. Painte...
Acrylic
Festive Moment, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A jewel-toned still life captures the warmth of seasonal celebrations. Ruby-colored candles glow amid fallen blossoms, while rich impressionistic brushstrokes e...
Oil
Strawberry Mousse Pie, Oil Painting
By Pat Doherty
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A single wedge of strawberry mousse pie reveals a beautiful contrast of colors and textures. A dollop of whipped cream swirls into a perfect peak. Artist Pat Do...
Oil
Gondolas in Venice, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
An original oil painting capturing the quiet charm of Venice with its iconic gondolas resting on calm green water. Painted using brushes and palette knife in the impasto technique, t...
Oil
Autumn Goodies
Located in Zofingen, AG
Autumn Goodies This still life was painted from life. Soft, diffused daylight fills the space, gently interacting with transparent glass, matte surfaces, and textured fabric. The r...
Canvas, Oil
$380Sale Price|20% Off
Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Florence, Italy - Inlaid Woodwork
Located in Soquel, CA
Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, Florence, Italy - Inlaid Woodwork Inlaid woodwork depicting the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence, Italy. The top of the Cathedral is the ...
Wood, Wood Panel
Watching the Snowstorm, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A cat named Tiny watches an evening snowstorm from the comfort of her perch. Warm lamplight fills the interior, contrasting with the cold weather beyond the win...
Oil
Michigan Avenue: Where Light Meets Rain, Oil Painting
By Yangzi Xu
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Yangzi captures a rainy evening on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. Streetlamps glow warmly against the cool reflections of the wet pavement. Figures with umbr...
Oil
Softly Gathered, Oil Painting
By Lisa Elley
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Poppies fan out from a round vase, their white petals and yellow centers catching the shifting light. Painted with a palette knife, the composition builds a ric...
Oil
Morning Light on the Mule Ears, Oil Painting
By David Forks
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Warm morning light bathes the desert of Big Bend National Park, casting a golden glow over the landscape. The iconic Mule Ear Peaks rise prominently from the de...
Oil
Hold My Hand as the Day Fades Away, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This painting captures a vast landscape at sunset. Soft light spreads across an open field beneath a cloudy sky. Muted blues, grays, greens, and pale golds crea...
Oil
Monet's Garden II
Located in Atlanta, GA
Claude Monet's painting of his lily pond at Giverny is transformed into this beautiful dramatic jacquard tapestry woven in Belgium. Monet painted many scenes from his home at Givern...
Tapestry
Tonal Floral, Oil Painting
By Mary Pratt
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The floral still life painting features a bouquet of magnolias arranged in a tall glass vase. Artist Mary Pratt uses layers of soft green and silvery grey impas...
Oil
The Boats of San Sebastian, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The boats sit ready for their next journey in the marina of San Sebastián, Spain. Calm waters and a sense of anticipation shape the coastal scene, evoking the ...
Oil
Winter Landscape with Trees
Located in Milford, NH
A fine colorful New England winter landscape with trees and a snow covered stone wall by American artist William Lester Stevens (1888-1969).Born in Rockport, Massachusetts, Stevens f...
Canvas, Oil
Magnificent Mile in Bloom, Oil Painting
By Yangzi Xu
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Yangzi Xu captures the joyful return of spring to downtown Chicago in this painting. Vibrant tulips in pinks, reds, and corals fill the foreground, softe...
Oil
Time to Move, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A mother and her child strike their camp for higher ground as the tide comes in with the occasional rogue wave. Artist Onelio Marrero and his wife live near the...
Oil
$2,834Sale Price|48% Off
Victorian Landscape with Horse and Foal with Cattle in a pasture by Moonlight.
Located in ludlow, GB
Victorian Landscape with Horse and Foal with Cattle in a pasture by Moonlight. Large Framed Oil Painting of Animals gathered together in the Moonlight. An evocative Landscape which is well drawn and nicely executed. "Horse and Foal and Cattle in Pastures by Moonlight" Oil on Canvas (18 by 24 inches) Signed and dated 1899 and Framed in a traditional Impressionist Swept Frame. Charles Augustus Henry Lutyens was a portrait, animal and sporting painter. He was fairly eccentric and indeed named one of his sonsSir Edward...
Oil
Low Tide on the Bar, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork captures a tidal river at low tide on a quiet summer morning. A solitary sailboat rests on the sandbar. Low-hanging clouds glow with rosy hue...
Pastel
No Looking Back, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An impressionist painting captures the back view of a young lady dressed in a red silk nightgown. She stares at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought. S...
Oil
Ernest Walbourn "Evening in Sussex" Original Painting C.1900
Located in San Francisco, CA
Ernest Walbourn (England, 1871-1927) "Bringing Home the Flock" original painting circa 1900 Evening in Sussex A young woman stands at an open gate as the sheep are brought in for t...
Oil
Stream, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A stream winds between green fields, with a small patch of white in its blue water reflecting the clouds above. Trees in the distance add vertical contrast, whi...
Acrylic
Silent Promises, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This small impressionist painting depicts a calm seascape beneath layered clouds illuminated by soft lavender, blue, and golden light. Reflections shimmer acros...
Oil
September Song, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Wildflowers blooming in the foreground create a focal point against the misty sky and sea in the background. The view depicts the enchanting coastline of Califo...
Watercolor
Cote d'Azur, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By John Popkess
Located in Yardley, PA
A figurative work of a man standing, glancing over his left shoulder, whilst leaning against the promenade wall that skirts the coast between Monaco and Cannes. He wears a striped ti...
Oil
Blissful Lagoon, Oil Painting
By Lisa Elley
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by the scenery of Monterey Bay in California, artist Lisa Elley captures a picturesque ocean view dotted with flowers in the foreground. California p...
Oil
The Broadway Theatre, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The scene takes place inside Manhattan's Broadway Theatre, where audiences are starting to fill the box seats. Artist Onelio Marrero deliberately contrasts the ...
Oil
Cafe Scene, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Three patrons engage in a lively conversation in a local café. Beneath the room's carefully designed lighting, shafts of sunlight cast intricate patterns acros...
Acrylic
Coastal Atmosphere, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Lazy waves move toward the shore beneath an open sky filled with subtle color and soft mist. With loose, expressive brushwork and a calming palette, the impress...
Oil
Melting Snow, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The winter sun begins to shine, casting a warm, gentle glow upon the treetops and the two houses, almost concealed by the foliage. As the snow gradually melts...
Acrylic
Autumn Koi, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A group of koi fish swims through a pond as autumn leaves drift on the surface, creating a lively interplay of color and texture. Artist Onelio Marrero captures...
Oil
Pink Orchid, Oil Painting
By Pat Doherty
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A vibrant pink orchid blooms from a blue and white ceramic flower pot. The mix of colors creates a lively scene and contrasts with the soft, neutral background....
Oil
Sunday with Rodin, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
On a recent painting trip to Europe, artist Faye Vander Veer visited the Rodin Museum in Paris, where a sense of calm contrasted with the city's bustling ener...
Oil
Evening Approaches, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
As the autumn sun sets over Greer, Arizona, a slight chill settles across the landscape. The warm light bathes the stream winding through a grove of trees. Th...
Oil
"Cloud Reflections" oil painting, impressionist landscape of Vermont, Mountains
By Viktor Butko
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Cloud Refelctions" is an oil painting by Russian Impressionist painter Viktor Butko (b. 1978, Moscow) painted en plein air, aka outdoors. This painting is a culmination of Butko's ...
Linen, Oil
Lone Cowboy, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Alana Clumeck paints a quiet nighttime scene in the desert. A cowboy and his horse move slowly beneath the moon, its soft glow revealing cacti scattered ...
Oil
Ronda Afternoon, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This painting captures a hillside view of a castle and church in Ronda, Spain. The soft brushwork gives the scene a luminous glow, with shadows falling across...
Oil
Ice Cream Cone, Oil Painting
By Pat Doherty
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A generous serving of mint ice cream sits atop a crisp waffle cone. Dark chocolate fudge and sprinkles drip down the sides of the vibrant green scoop. Artist Pa...
Oil
Modern Impressionist Oil Painting Children Playing at Seaside on Sandy Beach
Located in ludlow, GB
Modern Impressionist Beach Scene with Children Playing at the Seaside, an Oil Painting on Canvas on stretchers, Signed and Framed, there is a choice of modern or traditional style fr...
Oil
Angels and Patrons, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero portrays his niece examining Jules Bastien-Lepage’s 1879 painting of Joan of Arc receiving her life-changing vision. Set within a room...
Oil
Sunflowers, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A bouquet of vibrant sunflowers sits in a blue vase next to a window. The bright golden petals and rich brown centers create a striking contrast with the vase. ...
Oil
Old Compton St (night)-Original realism London oil painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Oil, Board
Bushes by the Pond, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Flowering bushes bloom, and trees thrive around a quiet summer pond. Loose brushstrokes suggest the forms and movement of the greenery. The scene captures a ser...
Acrylic
View of Florence, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Sunlight bathes the facades and rooftops of Florence in warm, golden hues, creating a striking contrast against the cool purples and blues of the distant hills....
Oil
Lake Giverny Monet Inspired Tapestry
Located in Atlanta, GA
Claude Monet's painting of his lily pond at Giverny is transformed into this beautiful dramatic jacquard tapestry woven in Belgium. Monet painted many scenes from his home at Giverny...
Tapestry
Dreaming of Heroes, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A young boy sleeps on a couch with his plastic sword. He peacefully enters the dreamland with his favorite symbolic attire and a heroic pillowcase. The early mo...
Oil
Gala Preparations, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
During an outdoor gala at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, artist Onelio Marrero records the preparations on the museum's steps beneath the grand colonnade. Cate...
Oil
Arm in Arm, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The artwork depicts a warm summer day in Montmartre, Paris. An older couple walks arm in arm across the street while people dining al fresco bask in the afterno...
Oil