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.
Where the Fire Is Safe, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Snowstorms in New Jersey inspired artist Onelio Marrero to paint this winter landscape and convey a scene of solitude. A man stands on a nearly frozen river as ...
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
The Old Samovar
Located in Milford, NH
A fine impressionist still life of a samovar amongst flowers on a table by American artist Dorothy Ochtman (1892-1971). Ochtman was born in Riverside, Connecticut, and became a renow...
Canvas, Oil
Golden Serenade, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This cheerful painting bursts with color and joy. It features a vibrant bouquet of yellow daffodils sitting in a rounded green vase. The vase was and old one of the artist her mother...
Acrylic
Morning Reflections, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Warm sunlight rises over the river, gradually breaking through the cool dawn hues. The blue and lavender tones in the sky softly reflect on the water as the mor...
Acrylic
Sun Dappled Koi, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Dappled sunlight dances across a pond where koi swim just below the surface. Gentle ripples and reflections mirror their carefree movements as they feed, while ...
Oil
The Last Light on the Marsh, Original Painting
By Jinny Tomozy
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An array of colors presents itself before the sun dips behind the mountains. Shadows drape the landscape in cold blues and violets while the water reflects th...
Acrylic
Stream in the Woods, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Tall, slender trees line a narrow stream in the foreground, their dark trunks partially obscuring a bright, open field in the background. The scene exudes a cal...
Acrylic
Mont-Royal Montreal, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A curved staircase leads upward, where people ascend, their forms casting intriguing shadows against the warm light. The blues and grays of the sky and struct...
Watercolor
Just Peachy, Oil Painting
By Lisa Nielsen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This impressionist still life painting by artist Lisa Nielsen features two vases filled with red, yellow, and orange flowers. Peaches and cherries rest nearby, ...
Oil
The Chess Players, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An intense chess match unfolds in a sun-drenched courtyard. The late afternoon sun casts intricate patterns across the players' fingers and clothing, as well as...
Acrylic
Squint, Oil Painting
By Aruna Rao
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Light shimmers across the water as the sun goes down. A sailboat fades in the distance, while the rocks in the foreground frame the scene. The soft breeze, glow...
Oil
$16,550
"Santa Maria Novella" M.Dalessio, Oil Painting, Realist Landscape, Tuscany, 2007
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An oil painting by American plein-air painter, and award winning portrait painter Marc Dalessio. A depiction of the rolling hills of Tuscany. Cultivated nature lives on the left wit...
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
Cafes in Portugal, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
While walking the Camino de Santiago, artist Jonelle Summerfield arrived in Vila Nova de Cerveira and paused, unsure which direction to take. Though tired from ...
Oil
Late Evening Redstone Colorado, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This landscape painting beautifully captures Redstone, Colorado, renowned for its stunning scenery and as a popular filming location. In the late summer evening...
Oil
The Canal At Lambertville, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This painting by Onelio depicts a view of the Lambertville Canal, seen from the north on a late spring morning. With a keen eye for detail, Onelio beautifully c...
Oil
View Toward Mountains, Provence, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Sunlit fields stretch across the countryside beneath a bright blue sky. Tall dark trees and scattered houses break up the rolling green landscape. Loose strokes...
Acrylic
Mt. Diablo from the Old Orchard, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Mt. Diablo is a well-known landmark in the California Bay Area. Artist Catherine McCargar has a view of it from her home in Walnut Creek. In this painting, she ...
Acrylic
Autumn Glow at Art Institute of Chicago, Oil Painting
By Yangzi Xu
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Pedestrians stroll through the streets of downtown Chicago, passing the iconic lion statues at the Art Institute of Chicago. Autumn hues fill the scene as tal...
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
Modern Impressionist style busy Shipping Scene Steam and Sail on River Thames
Located in ludlow, GB
Modern late Twentieth Century Impressionist style busy Shipping Scene of Steam and Sail on the River Thames London. "The Pool of London" Oil on Board, Signed and Framed by James Bre...
Oil
Used Books, Oil Painting
By Duane Brown
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A figure, viewed from above, confronts an overwhelming mass of books, echoing the anxieties about the saturation of information in contemporary society. The sce...
Oil
Breaking Atlantic Wave. Contemporary Impressionist Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Great seascape from this exceptional and well collected British Impressionist. Oil on canvas Signed
Canvas, Oil
Severance, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A butcher knife hangs on a kitchen backsplash, its dark blade contrasting with the white tiles bathed with the warm glow of sunset. Soap, sponge, and dishware r...
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
Soliloquy In Blue_, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A young woman sleeps comfortably on her bed, surrounded by red and pink pillows, while cool blues and grays envelop the rest of the room. The stark whites of he...
Oil
Best Day at Dunn's Pond, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Dunn Pond, in Gardner, Massachusetts, is a spectacular visual and sensory delight. Originally a glacial formation, it has now been developed into a local park. ...
Acrylic
Early walk, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
An early walk, oil on canvas 25x30x2 cm :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Sig...
Oil
Road Through Backcountry, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Rolling green fields stretch underneath a wide blue sky. A pale road winds through the landscape and disappears into the distance. In painting this scene, artis...
Acrylic
Four Boats, Misty Morning, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist pastel artwork captures sailboats and dinghies moored along calm water in Cape Cod on a grey day. Tall sea grass frames the shoreline. Artist ...
Pastel
Early Morning, Old Green Boat, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork captures the beauty of Cape Cod. Low tide in the early morning reveals the subtle contours of the surrounding dunes. Natural breakwaters anch...
Pastel
Dune Shadow, Last Glow, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork depicts fluffy cumulus clouds floating majestically in the waning rays before dusk. A distant cloud bank hovers near the horizon, while the f...
Pastel
Cloud Shadow, Fall Grasses, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A massive pink cloud casts a clear shadow across the sea, endowing it with weight and an aura of distinction. The lone cottage sits nestled among sea grasses, t...
Pastel
Boat Mooring, Town Landing, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork captures a small motorboat and a mooring buoy floating on calm blue water. A tree-lined path leads the eye toward a distant cottage. Artist J...
Pastel
Winter Conifers Above the Cove, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork captures the mysterious beauty of Cape Cod in winter, when chilly winds challenge dune-top conifers and the skies turn even less predictable....
Pastel
Pamet River, Late Day, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist pastel artwork captures a small white cottage perched on a grassy hill, catching the final burst of sun after a humid afternoon. Soon, the mou...
Pastel
Sunset at Meetinghouse Road Marsh, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Painted on sanded paper, the pastel artwork depicts a shoreline cove at sunset. Dark green conifers frame a rare orange deciduous tree that catches the late day...
Pastel
Sunrise, Framed by Seagrass, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork depicts the early-morning light on the bay, saturating the colors in this shoreline scene. Starting on site and refined later in the studio, ...
Pastel
Boat House, Tonset Beach, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The pastel artwork depicts a simple boathouse bathed in the warm light of a summer morning. Large boulders cast bold shadows across the shoreline. A pronounced ...
Pastel
Just Lovely, Oil Painting
By Karen Barton
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist floral painting depicts colorful wildflowers rising above lush green leaves. The pale blue sky adds a comforting charm to the scene. Thick pal...
Oil
The Yellow Dress, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero frequently visits the beaches in New Jersey and loves to observe the people who walk along the shoreline. This impressionist painting feat...
Oil
Garden Glow, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The impressionist still life painting depicts a turquoise chair holding a terracotta pot with orange nasturtiums and pansies. Dappled sunlight falls across the ...
Oil
Borrowed Moonlight, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A white dog wanders around a grassy field at night. The quiet evening unfolds beneath the moon as a familiar path becomes a place of reflection. Soft light and ...
Acrylic
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
Behold What Tomorrow Brings, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman stands before an oval mirror, preparing for bedtime. She gently brushes her hair, her posture relaxed and absorbed in the quiet moment. Warm, intimate l...
Oil
The Patient Heron, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
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 ...
Oil
Dreamland With Bunny_, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A little girl sleeps with her arms wrapped around a plush bunny. She wears a white nightgown, which contrasts with the reddish tones in the background and foreg...
Oil
This Florida, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Palm and oak trees create a vibrant forest scene. The sun filters through the foliage and casts dappled light on the ground. Bright reds and yellows highlight...
Acrylic
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
Obidos Evening, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The evening sun bathes the historic village of Obidos, Portugal, in warm golden light, casting soft shadows on whitewashed buildings. A winding cobblestone stre...
Oil
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
Everyone on a Mission, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero depicts the bustling energy of Midtown Manhattan traffic, looking south on a rainy afternoon. Dashing yet precise brushstrokes convey move...
Oil
Noyac 08.02.2008
By Nelson White
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Painted en plein air. Frame Dimensions 11 x 16in Artist Bio: Nelson H. White was born in New London, Connecticut in 1932. White has been surrounded by art and artists from the ti...
Oil
That Dreams May Come III, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A young girl wearing a tutu sits in front of a vanity. Artist C M Cooper based this piece on the innocence of childhood, using an eight-year-old ballet student ...
Oil
Artichoke on Pedestal, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
One of artist Tara Zalewsky-Nease's favorite genres is the kitchen still life. A prolific cook and painter, she creates compositions of singular ingredients, ca...
Oil
Lilly pond, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By LE ANH TUAN
Located in Yardley, PA
Flowers in the morning dew The most beautiful flowers are in the early morning. When the dawn just dawned, the petals began to gradually bloom, with the water lily, the lotus in th...
Acrylic
Cloudless Thoughts, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman lies quietly, lost in thought, as the viewer is left to imagine the world within her mind. Layers of rich oil paint build a soft, luminous surface, wher...
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
How Does Your Garden Grow..., Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The 9th piece in my 'Accents Of Gold' collection In this painting, I've tapped into the energy of a thriving garden, using acrylics, genuine 23ct gold and genuine Platinum leaf to...
Acrylic
La Maison Tellier - Vintage Rare Book Illustrated after Edgar Degas - 1934
By Edgar Degas
Located in Roma, IT
La Maison Tellier is an original modern rare book illustrated by Edgar Degas (Paris, 1834 – Paris, 1917) and written by Henri-René-Albert-Guy de Maupassant (Tourville-sur-Arques, 185...
Paper, Etching