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
In this tonal landscape, artist Benjamin Thomas employs contrasting hues to evoke a vibrant scene. Using a palette knife instead of brushes, he layers and blend...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
1980s Impressionist More Art
Oil, Cardboard
Artist Comments
Artist Shela Goodman presents a scenic path enveloped by autumnal foliage. In her travels, Shela is always fascinated with the tunnels that trees create. "Not knowing when you entered where you may be when you come out the other side," says Shela. The piece captures the majesty of the season with festive colors and energetic paintwork.
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: autumn, tunnel, trees, fall, road, season, path, woods, forest...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
The artwork captures a quiet moment along a busy harbor, where the steady presence of a tall sailboat anchors the scene. In the distance, brick buildings and sm...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Watercolor
1990s Impressionist More Art
Oil, Cardboard
Artist Comments
A sweeping lake view shimmers beneath a bright blue sky, where radiant orange clouds glow in the early morning sun. Artist Drew Noel Marin, a native of Michigan...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero captures a lively moment inside a flower shop at Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, just before Mother’s Day. Surrounded by a daz...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
Artist Karen d’Angeac Mihm paints vibrant sunflower fields, often inspired by Provence, but this time, she found inspiration close to home in Wisconsin. A stu...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Bright yellow sunflowers spill from a folded white paper, creating a striking contrast with the dark background. A glass bottle stands at the back, adding an el...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Coastal Davenport, California, comes alive with the essence of the Pacific coast in artist Lisa Elley's impressionist seascape. Rugged cliffs meet the gentle ...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Working on the subject of water lilies and sunset reflections, artist Onelio Marrero portrays a pond mirroring the colors of the sk...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
1980s Impressionist More Art
Oil, Cardboard
Artist Comments
Thick, expressive brushstrokes depict a sunny day on the California coast in this impasto painting. Palm trees sway over a sandy beach, with distant mountains r...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
1950s Impressionist More Art
Paper, Pastel
Artist Comments
Ibis birds wander and forage under palm fronds. Their white feathers catch the dappled sunlight, while their red beaks and legs contrast with the lush greens. I...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A sunlit meadow bursts with vibrant orange and yellow wildflowers, filling the foreground with warmth. A towering leafy oak surrounded by lush trees stands prou...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
1920s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Linen
Early 20th Century Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel
Early 1900s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
High stone seawalls line parts of the New Jersey shoreline, where tides and surges deposit an array of natural and manmade artifacts. In this scene, a young gir...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A tiny beach on Maui offers just enough space for a few painters or beachgoers to settle in. The breeze gently sweeps the tree and pushes the waves between the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Early 20th Century Impressionist More Art
Paper, Pastel
Artist Comments
A majestic white horse stands gracefully in a vibrant field of red poppies, the light of the setting sun filtering through its mane. Slihouetted trees rise in t...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
1980s Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
Autumn trees surround a serene farm pond, their leaves reflecting on the surface. The sun shimmers on the water, adding brilliance to the scene. Expressive stro...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A bustling street brims with life as people stroll past rows of brick buildings adorned with elegant architectural details. The painting captures the essence of...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1870s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Bright wildflowers bloom in the foreground while the waves crash against the cliffs in the distance. The sky, painted in soft blues and whites, merges seamles...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
Under the glow of a lamp, a venerable professor attentively reads and evaluates student submissions. The composition is one of artist Onelio Marrero's many port...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A morning fog blankets the lake, bathed in the soft red-pink glow of the first dawn. Light floods the sky, casting the shadowed trees in silhouette. Reflections...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist More Art
Masonite, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Impressionist More Art
Paper, Watercolor
Artist Comments
A river cuts through a quiet, secluded meadow. The lush greens reflect on the water's calm surface, while patches of sunlight add brilliance and warmth to the s...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Acrylic
Early 20th Century Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Weathered barns stand quietly under a bright, open sky, their faded wood telling stories of time and use. Overgrown grass softens the worn edges of the structur...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A solitary, weathered cabin stands quietly in a vast, open desert. Bare trees stretch upward, while the ground lies blanketed in snow. Stark black and white ton...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer captures the majesty of Notre Dame Cathedral at dusk in this evocative painting. She took the reference photograph long before the devas...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Living by a lake provides artist Karen d’Angeac Mihm with endless inspiration, as the landscape transforms with each season. Every day offers a new perspect...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Oil
Late 20th Century Impressionist More Art
Oil, Wood Panel, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A vineyard leads to a rustic cottage nestled among lush trees. Sunlight filters through the branches, casting dappled shadows onto the winding path. The soft an...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist More Art
Watercolor
1890s Impressionist More Art
Oil, Panel
Early 1900s Impressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
