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.
Lofoten Norway, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This captivating artwork masterfully depicts a serene, snow-laden village nestled by a tranquil fjord, its beauty accentuated by imposing, jagged mountains under an expansive twiligh...
Oil
Forgotten Coziness, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
A rustic wooden cabin stands amidst lush greenery, with a small fenced garden featuring blooming flowers and a thatched-roof structure in the background. The scene is filled with vib...
Oil
Canada Geese, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero lives near the Rockaway River in New Jersey, where he observes ducks and other waterfowl. In this impressionist painting, he captures danc...
Oil
"Chapelle Saint-Michel de Tremblade, Jegun" - Oil painting, Historic Chapel
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Orsolic Dalessio's sky seems to dance in this plein air painting. A line of healthy trees and foliage is interrupted by a tall church, and continue again on the other side with a dif...
Oil, Panel
Hill Houses, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist landscape painting depicts a cluster of houses atop a rolling hill in rural France. Expansive green fields, scattered shrubs, and a bright blu...
Acrylic
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
Brewer Street, Soho - Original realism cityscape 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
Maida Vale - Original realism London cityscape 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...
Canvas, Oil
$2,340
Back to Jazz - Original realism cityscape oil painting-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs...
Canvas, Oil
Camden Market, Morning- Original realism cityscape 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...
Canvas, Oil
$18,000
The Boat Shop
Located in Milford, NH
A fine impressionist oil painting of the boat shop by Italian American artist Antonio Cirino (1889-1983). Cirino was born in Italy and moved to the United States, attending the Rhode...
Canvas, Oil
Spring- Original Oil Landscape Painting - Contemporary Impressionist 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...
Canvas, Oil
Florence Mid-Afternoon
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Oil painting of a landscape in Florence, Italy, painted en plein air. ARTIST BIO Marc Dalessio was born in 1972 in Los Angeles, California. Even in his earliest years, it was eviden...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
Winter Landscape
By Charles Jacob Jung
Located in Milford, NH
A fine impressionist winter landscape by German American artist Charles Jacob Young (aka C. Jac Jung) (1880-1940). Young was born in Rodenbach, Bavaria, Germany, immigrated to the Un...
Oil, Board
$2,400
"Sea and Sky 09.26.22" contemporary impressionist seascape in custom frame NHW
By Nelson White
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A serene plein air painting from Nelson White, featuring his recognizable impasto whitecaps. A deep blue sea meets a lilac-brown horizon, and ascends back into the blue sky, adorned ...
Oil, Panel
Farm in the Mist, Giverny
Located in Milford, NH
An exceptional impressionist landscape of a farm in the mist in Giverny, France by American artist Theodore Earl Butler (1891-1936). Butler was born in Co...
Canvas, Oil
"Old Cypresses by Chapelle Saint Marie" Plein-air painting from North France
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
In this plein air painting, Orsolic Dalessio creates a composition reminiscent of The Hudson River School paintings, but with an impressionistic hand. Along with the studied composit...
Canvas, Oil
$5,000
"Tansy and Yarrow III" Impressionist landscape of wildflowers—yellow green white
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Tansy and Yarrow III" is an Impressionist painting of a meadow of yellow and white wildflowers. Artist Statement: Even as a child of 2, I had a strong affinity for using a pencil ...
Canvas, Oil
Potomac Highlands WV Barn in Autumn, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This artwork captures the hot, dry atmosphere of the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia. Rustic barns and copper-colored fields stand beneath a cloudless, viv...
Oil
Southern Landscape
Located in Milford, NH
A fine gouache painting of a Southern landscape by American artist Beatrice Lavis Cuming (1903-1975). Cuming was born in Brooklyn, NY, studied lo...
Paper, Gouache
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
"Swamp IV" Impressionist, waterscape, cool tones
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
"Swamp IV" is an Impressionist waterscape painting of a pond's surface. Painted en plein air. Unframed. Signed at bottom. Artist's statemen...
Canvas, Oil
Side Road, France, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A sunlit path cuts through dense green trees and shrubs beneath a pale blue sky. Broad strokes from a brush and a palette knife build the landscape with warm or...
Acrylic
Contemplation, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This oil painting on archival linen, mounted on panel, features a familiar muse that the artist C M Cooper has worked with since her youth. Inspired in part by ...
Oil
Whitewashed Barn, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Whitewashed barns capture a timeless Americana charm. Rolling hills and a clear blue sky frame the structures, creating a serene, inviting atmosphere. Artist Do...
Oil
Cupcake Trio, Oil Painting
By Pat Doherty
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The still life painting depicts three gourmet cupcakes topped with various garnishes. Defined brushstrokes and inviting colors bring the desserts to life. Artis...
Oil
Quiet Glow. Central Park. New York, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist painting captures the peaceful charm of an autumn evening in a rain-soaked park. Glowing lampposts, brown and orange leaves, and reflections f...
Oil
The Quiet Garden Bench, Oil Painting
By Lisa Elley
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Sunlight accentuates the quaint stone walls and shutters of an Italian house. Flowers with creeping vines create a dramatic and highly textured visual effect. P...
Oil
Entangled Radiance, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by a winter walk through open space in Colorado at sunset, this painting captures the moment when the fading light illuminated the twisted branches of ...
Oil
Early Fall, York County, Pennsylvania, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two barns rest on a quiet farm, surrounded by autumn colors. The overcast morning softens the warm tones across the rolling hills. The scene captures the serene...
Oil
Lily Pond Dreamscape, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original hand-painted painting. Artwork inspired by impressionist style that expresses with subtle colors that evokes a sense of tranquility and an appreciation for the beauty of ...
Acrylic
Field of Poppies
By Nelson White
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air. Frame Dimensions: 17 x 21 inches Artist Bio: Nelson H. White was born in New London, Connecticut in 1932. White has been surrounded by art and artists from ...
Oil
Still Life with Flowers in a Blue Vase
Located in Milford, NH
A large beautiful still life with flowers in a blue vase by American artist Owen Cullen Yates (1866-1945). Yates was born in Bryan, Ohio and studied in New York City with William Mer...
Canvas, Oil, Panel
Old House, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A country house stands solitary in an overgrown field, with traces of time passing evident in its exterior. The grass dances with the wind as the summer sky g...
Oil
$1,231
Southbank Riverside Shadows- original impressionism cityscape - 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...
Canvas, Oil
Bagno Paradiso 09.07.2015
By Nelson White
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air. Frame Dimensions 10.5 x 15.5 in Artist Bio: Nelson H. White was born in New London, Connecticut in 1932. White has been surrounded by art and artists from t...
Oil
Gray Day, Gloucester
Located in Milford, NH
A fine impressionist North Shore Cape Ann coastal oil painting by American artist Winfield Scott Clime (1881-1958). Clime was born in Philadelphia, studied at the Corcoran Art School...
Oil, Board
Field and Trees, France, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist landscape painting depicts a sunlit field flanked by birch trees near Bedouin, Provence, France. White trunks tower in the foreground, while a...
Acrylic
Riviera - Cote d'Azur Frankreich original vintage travel poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Original vintage travel poster to the French Riveria, the Cote D'Azur. Linen-backed lithograph created by the artist Roger Bezombes, for the French National Railways. A small Fr...
Lithograph
Samhain, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Halloween decorations adorn the front yard of a house in Chicago at night in October. A glowing jack-o'-lantern sits behind...
Oil
The Garden's Upper Story, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Deep purple and red leaves stand out against a background of bright foliage. Artist Catherine McCargar, an avid gardener and watercolorist, drew inspiration fro...
Watercolor
Desert Glow, Original Painting
By Joanie Ford
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Joanie Fords captures the beauty of Tucson, Arizona in this pastel artwork. Soft, glowing light filters through the terrain, contrasting the lush green c...
Pastel
Summer Salt Marsh, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This original, abstract impressionistic landscape painting is stretched on a 1.5" deep gallery wrap canvas. Only the finest professional quality acrylic paints were used in the crea...
Acrylic
Imbolc, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A quiet interior scene looks out through a window onto a snow-covered neighborhood. Bare tree branches stretch across the view, partially obscuring houses softe...
Oil
Spring Flowers, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The original contemporary floral painting features a vibrant wildflower meadow filled with delicate blooms and expressive botanical forms. Soft neutral tones in...
Oil
Modern Impressionist Beach Scene
Located in Milford, NH
A panoramic modern impressionist beach scene by American artist Jennett Brinsmade Lam (1911-1985). Lam was born in Ansonia, Connecticut, studied with Josef Albers at Yale University,...
Canvas, Oil
Santorini, Greece, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Discover original oil painting Inspired by beautiful landscapes of Santorini island in Greece. This impasto painting created with brushes and palette knife on canvas. • SIZE: 6...
Oil
Palette of Reflection, Original Painting
By Joanie Ford
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Layers of rich, luminous color stretch across the sky, softly reflecting on the water below and evoking both movement and calm. Artist Joanie Ford’s love of s...
Pastel
Winter Stream
By Jonas Lie
Located in Milford, NH
A fine impressionist landscape of a winter stream by American artist Jonas Lie (1880-1940). Lie was born in Moss, Norway to an accomplished Norwegian engineer and an American mother. Named after his uncle, a novelist and close friend of Henrik Ibsen, Jonas went to Paris to live with his uncle in 1892, after his father's death. Surely it was here, the twelve year-old boy was influenced by the creative spirit found in his uncle's home. In 1893, Jonas moved to New York City, where he took evening classes at Cooper Union, the National Academy of Design and the Art Students League while working designing fabric patterns for a textile company to raise money to support his education. After the completion of his education, Lie spent most of his summers along the New England coast and Canada. Here he would paint bright, impressionistic harbor scenes and rocky, coastal views, which he would exhibit regularly. The landscapes and coastal paintings Lie created in New England can be characterized by a facile, broad handling of pigment and an impressionistic sense of light and air. was a prolific painter, known for his coastal views of New England and New York scenes. He became the president of the National Academy of Design from 1935 to 1939, a year before his death. Lie was also known for a series of paintings of the last days of construction of the Panama Canal in 1913. These paintings were given to the United States Military Academy...
Canvas, Oil
Field of Sunflowers, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
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...
Oil
water lilies, Painting, Oil on Glass
Located in Yardley, PA
Irina Alexandrina's painting is guided by her all-consuming passion to share with the viewer the beauty and perfection of the universe, which we sometimes pass by in a hurry. His wor...
Oil
Wellies I - Original Figurative Oil Painting - Impressionistic Artwork
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
Morning Glory, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by a walk through a local Colorado open space at sunrise, this landscape captures the first rays of light as they break across a farmhouse setting. Lon...
Oil
View from a Tuscan Villa, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Heavy draped curtains frame the view from the main dining room of a Tuscan villa, opening onto lush green hills that recede into soft blue in the distance. Marb...
Oil
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
Casting a Shadow on a Blue Sky, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The figurative oil painting depicts a solitary cowboy walking away from the viewer across an open expanse. His shadow stretches long across the ground. He wears...
Oil
The Other Side of Now, Original Painting
By Nava Lundy
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy captures two cardinals sharing a quiet moment on a single branch. They turn toward one another in a way that feels familiar and unspoken. The ...
Acrylic
You Found Me, Original Painting
By Nava Lundy
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This impressionistic bird painting captures two cardinals resting quietly on bare branches. One stands out with its brilliant red feathers, while the other appe...
Acrylic
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
$5,368
San Giorgio Maggiore - original impressionism landscape - 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...
Canvas, Acrylic