Impressionist Figurative Paintings
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.
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A young woman sits on the grass, deeply engrossed in painting the scenery before her. Loose brushwork and palette knife techniques bring to life the graceful li...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1930s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Ink, Oil, Acrylic
20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Charcoal
Early 1900s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Oil, Acrylic
1920s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1880s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
An elderly man and a young girl immerse themselves in sketching great paintings in their drawing books, engaging deeply with the displays at the Metropolitan Mu...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
1970s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
Late 19th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
Artist Comments
This impressionist painting portrays the residents of Leon, Spain, enjoying churros and hot chocolate before starting their day. The gentle play of light bouncing across the interior infuses the scene with a cozy and welcoming mood. The artwork provides a glimpse into the daily life in the city, capturing the warmth and routine of a morning spent in a local cafe.
About the Artist
Although Jonelle Summerfield grew up surrounded by paintings, she initially gravitated toward fashion and design over fine art. Jonelle received her degree in Interior Design in 2001, after which her mother began teaching her to paint. It changed her life. Over the next ten years, Jonelle trained and painted extensively to become a full-time artist. She takes an impressionistic approach to romantic street scenes and city corners. The artist travels extensively throughout North America and Europe...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Linen
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
Mid-20th Century Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
1860s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Oil, Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil