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.
“L’Esterel” Modern Colorful Mediterranean French Coastal Landscape Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Modern colorful French coastal landscape painting by Italian artist Italo Giordani. The work features a grove of trees swaying in the wind as waves lap the nearby shore. Signed in th...
Canvas, Oil
Different. Kindred.
Located in Zofingen, AG
A large contemporary figurative painting featuring three female figures set against a deep dark background. Their silhouettes are rendered with airy, luminous brushstrokes, as if for...
Canvas, Acrylic
$358
"Fantasy with Flowers 199", Mixed Media, paper, 59x42cm, Unframed
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 300+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Sold and sent unframed -V...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
"Fantasy with Flowers 228" Mixed , paper, 59x42cm, Unframed
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 300+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. For sale and sent unframe...
Paper, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Watercolor
$505Sale Price|20% Off
French Fishing Boats Harbour Scene With Church and Reflections Oil Painting
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Fishing Boats Harbour Scene With Church and Reflections Oil Painting by Fanch Lel Signed: Bottom left corner Size: 15 x 18.25 inches (height x width) Oil painting on bo...
Oil
$548Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Pastel Regatta Scene with Sailboats on Calm Water
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Abstract Pastel Regatta Scene with Sailboats on Calm Water By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 13 x 16.25 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed Condition: The pa...
Oil
Dog Abstract Contemporary Art Avant- Garde Original Oil Painting
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Abstract Painting Avant- Garde Original Painting Ready to Hang Artist: Karen Dolukhanyan Title: Dog Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2020 Style: Abstract Art, Avant-Garde Dimensions: 36" ...
Canvas, Oil
$450Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist Harbour Scene with Lighthouse Fishing Boats and Seagulls in Motion
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Impressionist Harbour Scene with Lighthouse Fishing Boats and Seagulls in Motion By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 16.25 x 12.25 inches (height x width) Gouache painting on board...
Gouache
$691Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist Harbour Scene with Fishing Boats Lighthouse and Sunset Sky
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Impressionist Harbour Scene with Fishing Boats Lighthouse and Sunset Sky By Fanch Les Size: 15 x 18 inches (height x width) Oil painting on cardboard, unframed Condition: The ...
Oil
$543Sale Price|20% Off
French Harbour Scene Oil Painting of Boats and Waterfront at La Croisic
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Harbour Scene Oil Painting of Boats and Waterfront at La Croisic By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 15.25 x 18 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed Condi...
Oil
$527Sale Price|20% Off
French Impressionist Still Life of Yellow and Red Roses in Copper Vase
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Impressionist Still Life of Yellow and Red Roses in Copper Vase By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 16.25 x 13 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed Condit...
Oil
Coral Reef Fish Painting Impasto
Located in Zofingen, AG
* Title: Coral Reef * Size: 12 x 8 inches * Materials: oil, stretched canvas, palette knife * Shipping: gallery standards packaging, express shipping Bright abstract seascape paintin...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$2,560Sale Price|26% Off
Village Oil Painting, Impressionist Style, 20th Century, Signed
Located in Belgrade, MT
This oil painting is original and signed by the artist. I have owned this piece since the early 1970's. The oil depicts a village and is vibrant in color.
Oil
$730Sale Price|20% Off
French Impressionist Harbour Scene with Moored Fishing Boats by Fanch Lel
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Impressionist Harbour Scene with Moored Fishing Boats by Fanch Lel By Fanch Lel Size: 19.5 x 20.75 inches (height x width) Oil painting on cardboard, unframed Condition...
Oil
Vibrant Impressionist Landscape of Lush Greenery and Meadow
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Vibrant Impressionist Landscape by Helen Greenfield (British 20th century) signed oil painting on board, unframed board: 18 x 24 inches condition: overall very good provenance: all t...
Oil
$2,470Sale Price|20% Off
Olive Trees in Manosque, Provence, Large French Modernist Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: A. Davy, French School, late 20th century Title: Olive Trees, Manosque (Provence). Medium: signed, oil painting on canvas, framed and inscribed verso. Size: ...
Oil
$2,400Sale Price|25% Off
Impressionist City in France Oil Painting, 20th Century, Unframed
Located in Belgrade, MT
This painting by Lucien Durand is an original and part of my private collection since the 1970's.
Oil
$240Sale Price|20% Off
Hawaii Coral Reef
Located in Zofingen, AG
* Title: Hawaii Coral Reef * Size: 12 x 8 inches * Materials: oil, stretched canvas, palette knife * Shipping: gallery standards packaging, express ship...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$713Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist Village Scene with Tower and Olive Tree View of Monte Maggiore
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Impressionist Village Scene with Tower and Olive Tree View of Monte Maggiore By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 14.75 x 18 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed ...
Oil
$1,097Sale Price|20% Off
The Bridge at Argenteuil Large French Impressionist Oil Painting after Monet
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Bridge at Argenteuil a copy after the earlier, original painting by Claude Monet oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 20 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, south west of Eng...
Oil
$664Sale Price|20% Off
French Impressionist Regatta Scene with Colourful Sails and Seaside Village
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Impressionist Regatta Scene with Colourful Sails and Seaside Village By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 18 x 21.5 inches (height x width) Oil painting on cardboard, unframe...
Oil
Transition
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Transition” symbolizes the realm of the unknown, where the choice has not yet been voiced but is already born within consciousness. It reflects a state of inner movement between the...
Canvas, Acrylic
$581Sale Price|20% Off
French Seascape Oil Painting of Traditional Sailboats Moored in Calm Water
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Seascape Oil Painting of Traditional Sailboats Moored in Calm Water By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 12.75 x 16.25 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed...
Oil
"Reverberate" Abstracted Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This contemporary abstract landscape painting by Bri Custer, titled Reverberate, captures the shifting energy of land and light through expressive brushwork and layered color. Earthy...
Canvas, Oil
Signed Antique American Impressionist Framed Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Charles Sutton, “April Afternoon,” Oil on Board, Framed Landscape Painting Warmly toned impressionist oil painting by Charles Sutton, titled April Afternoon. The work captures a tra...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Impressionist Framed New England Landscape Original Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist landscape oil painting. Oil on canvasboard. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 12 by 15 inches overall, and 8 by 10 painting alone. In excellent original cond...
Canvas, Oil
Porsche 911 – Fluid Memory in Gold
Located in Zofingen, AG
Porsche 911 – Fluid Memory in Gold From the series: “Whisper of 911” This original artwork is part of a ten-piece series dedicated to the iconic Porsche 911 — not as a literal automo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Antique French Impressionist Family Portrait Landscape Signed Oil Painting
By Gabriel Spat
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique French impressionist portrait landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas, lain to board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 12 by 15 inches overall, and 6 by 9 painting alone.. In excell...
Oil, Board
$1,600
"Night at the Museum" Young Woman with Monet at Paris Museum Oil Painting Framed
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
A lively, impressionistic depiction of a young woman in a red jacket discovering Claude Monet's oil paintings at the Paris Museum. We are whisked away in this cherished scene with th...
Canvas, Oil
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Impressionist Landscape Nicely Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American impressionist landscape painting. Oil on board. Housed in a period impressionist giltwood frame. Excellent condition.
Canvas, Oil
'Evasion at the Parc Floral' Acrylic Painting, Neo-Impressionist, 21st Century
Located in JOINVILLE-LE-PONT, FR
Evasion at the Parc Floral is a vibrant, evocative exploration of light and nature, capturing the fleeting, meditative moments of a spring day. The composition is built around the im...
Canvas, Acrylic
$576Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist Seascape Painting of Fishing Boats with Sails and Orange Sails
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Impressionist Seascape Painting of Fishing Boats with Sails and Orange Sails By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 15 x 18 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed Con...
Oil
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Impressionist Coastal Sunset Beach Scene Pointillist Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderfully painted sunset coastal beach scene. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 20"H by 24"L.
Canvas, Oil
Unity, Abstract Large Original Painting on Canvas, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Voskan Galstian Work: Original Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen Year: 2011 Style: Abstract Art, Title: Unity Size: 48" x 60" x 1.5'' inch, (1...
Canvas, Oil
$510Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist French Harbour Scene with Lighthouse and Fishing Boats at Piriac
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Impressionist French Harbour Scene with Lighthouse and Fishing Boats at Piriac By Fanch Lel Signed: Yes Size: 10.5 x 7.5 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframe...
Oil
$4,300
Exploration Abstract Contemporary art Original Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Varouján Hovakimyan Title: Exploration Medium: Acrylic on Textured Canvas Year: 2024 Style: Contemporary Art Dimensions: 36" x 48'' x 1.5" inch (91 x 122 x 4cm) Presentation:...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Boss Babe Vibes" Figure wearing Chanel by Portrait Oil Painting on Paper
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Paper, Oil
$620Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Impressionist Fall Hills Landscape Framed Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted early American impressionist landscape oil painting. Framed. Oil on board. Signed.
Canvas, Oil
Nicely Framed American Impressionist Tropical Beach Scene Gold Giltwood Frame
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American impressionist landscape oil painting. Framed. Oil on board. Image size, 11H by 14L.
Canvas, Oil
$3,295
WPA Impressionist Figurative Landscape Oil Painting Panel "Ocho Rios" Jamaica
Located in Portland, OR
A important American Impressionist painting by Isabella Howland (1895-1974), "Ocho Rios", Jamaica, 1940. Howland was active in both Boston & New York, this impressionistic painting d...
Oil
$4,650
Francisco Bartus "Endless Motion" 40x40 Circle Textured Mixed Media Painting
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
This piece, "Endless Motion", is a 40x40 mixed media painting on linen by artist Francisco Bartus. Featured is closed circle symbol, made up of individual helpings of paint, strategi...
Mixed Media, Linen
Antique American Impressionist Winter Landscape Snow Scene Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American impressionist winter landscape snow scene oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Image size, 20H by 24L.
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
Rhythm of Time Contemporary Art Avant- Garde Original Painting Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Large size Contemporary Art Avant- Garde Original Painting Ready to Hang Artist: Ara Tevkantz Title: Rhythm of Time Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2020 Style: Abstract Art, Avant-Garde ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Summer Beach Scene Framed Impressionist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist seascape beach scene oil painting. Oil on board. No signature found. Framed. Image size, 18L x 14H.
Canvas, Oil
$488Sale Price|20% Off
French Coastal Painting of Boats at Low Tide in La Richardais in Brittany
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Coastal Painting of Boats at Low Tide in La Richardais in Brittany By Fanch Lel Signed: yes Size: 8.75 x 10.5 inches (height x width) Oil painting on board, unframed Co...
Oil
$1,681Sale Price|30% Off
Californian Coastline Seascape Landscape Impasto Painting by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Californian Coastline Seascape Landscape Impasto Oil Painting by 20th Century Artist, Constance Lee Art measures 19 x 15 inches Frame measures 21 x 17 ...
Oil, Board
$380Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American School Modernist New England Landscape Framed Lake Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract landscape. Oil on canvas. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Impressionist European Harbor Signed Original Framed Coast Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique European impressionist harbor oil painting. Oil on board, circa 1920. Signed. Framed. Image size, 15"L x 18"H.
Canvas, Oil
Vibrant Mediterranean Villa Among Trees Bold Impressionist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Vibrant Mediterranean Villa Guy Pichon (1933- 2007) Signed oil on canvas, unframed Canvas : 21.5 x 26 inches Provenance: private collection, remnants of an old exhibition label verso...
Oil
Fanasy with Flowers 165
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 300+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Sold and sent unframed -V...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$598Sale Price|20% Off
Large Impressionist Oil Painting - Colourful Flowing River Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School/ Date: Douglas Stuart Allen (American/ French 1923-2021) American born artist from Chicago, retiring to France during his latter years to become a full time painter. ...
Oil
"Misstep" Abstracted Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This contemporary abstract landscape painting by Bri Custer, titled Misstep, explores the tension between movement and stillness through expressive mark-making and a sunlit, tonal pa...
Canvas, Oil
$540Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Impressionist Fishing Harbor Sailboat Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist coastal seascape painting. Oil on board. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a gold giltwood molding. Excellent condition, ready ...
Canvas, Oil
Antique French Impressionist Paris Street Scene Giltwood Framed Signed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique French impressionist paris cityscape street scene oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 12H by 16L.
Canvas, Oil
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Impressionist Flower Still Life Signed Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist flower still life signed oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Image size, 25.5L x 21.5H.
Canvas, Oil
$713Sale Price|20% Off
Vibrant Autumn Landscape 1970's French Post-Impressionist Thick Impasto Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Autumn Landscape French Post-Impressionist, 1977 signed oil on canvas, unframed Canvas : 18 x 22 inches Provenance: private collection, Paris Condition: very good condition Descript...
Oil
$708Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist Village Hilltop Church Scene with Autumn Trees by Fanch Lel
By Fanch Lel
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Impressionist Village Hilltop Church Scene with Autumn Trees by Fanch Lel By Fanch Lel Size: 20.5 x 19.25 inches (height x width) Oil painting on cardboard, unframed Condition...
Oil
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Large Panoramic Seascape Coastal Sunset Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school seascape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed. Image size, 30L x 24H.
Canvas, Oil
Fanasy with Flowers 167
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 300+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Sold and sent unframed -V...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Golden Seascape with Waves Crashing onto Rocks at Sunset by 20th Century Artist
Located in Preston, GB
Golden Seascape with Waves Crashing onto Rocks at Sunset by 20th Century Irish Artist, Mattie Waugh. Art measures 25 x 14 inches Frame measures 30 x 19 inches Signed, VIntage Ori...
Oil, Board