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.
Yellowstone River SD, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
original plein air oil on panel :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Signed: Yes...
Oil
Big Dry Creek East, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Spring melt snow by Big Dry Creek Original oil on canvas :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signe...
Oil
New Construction, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
New construction in Denver original oil on panel :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang:...
Oil
Edge of Creek, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
original oil on canvas paint from en plein air :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Y...
Oil
Horse in Blue, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
original horse oil on panel painting :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Signed...
Oil
New Mexico Spring, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
original en plein air oil on panel paint in New Mexico :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to...
Oil
New Construction, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
New construction in Denver original oil on panel :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang:...
Oil
Sunrise, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
original en plein air oil on panel paint in contemporary impressionism style :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by t...
Oil
White Trailer, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
original en plein air oil on panel paint in contemporary impressionism style :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by t...
Oil
Golden Hills, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
original en plein air oil on panel paint in contemporary impressionism style :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by t...
Oil
Cripple Creek, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Original en plein air oil on panel paint in Cripple Creek City Colorado :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of ...
Oil
Canal, Painting, Oil on Other
Located in Yardley, PA
"Canal" original en plein air oil on panel paint by Marble Falls Lake :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the arti...
Oil
Indonesia #17, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel
Located in Yardley, PA
Indonesia village original oil on panel paint in contemporary impressionism style :: Painting :: Impressionist :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed...
Oil
H 31.89 in W 25.6 in
Melancholic Woman in an Interior, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1979
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title Melancholic Woman in an Interior with Dressing Table Artist Ramon Pichot i Soler (Figueres, 1924 – Barcelona, 1996) Medium Oil on canvas Dimensions 81 × 65 cm (31.9 × 25...
Oil
H 21 in W 38 in D 0.8 in
Summer Lake, Landscape, Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Vahe Yeremyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2021 Style: Impressionism, Subject: Summer Lake, Size: 21" x 38" x ...
Canvas, Oil
H 26.5 in W 30.5 in D 2 in
K.Dossi Original Sailing Ship Oil Painting, Nautical Seascape Unique Shell Decor
Located in Palm Coast, FL
A striking vintage oil on canvas depicting a majestic sailing ship navigating rolling ocean waves beneath a bright, expansive sky. The composition captures both movement and elegance...
Oil
H 30 in W 45 in D 1 in
Caribbean Coast, Seascape Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Seascape oil Painting Artist: Vahe Yeremyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2021 Style: Impressionism, Subject: Caribbean...
Canvas, Oil
H 29.5 in W 56 in D 0.8 in
Caribbean Coastal, Seascape, Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Vahe Yeremyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2021 Style: Impressionism, Subject: Caribbean Coast, Size: 29.5" x ...
Canvas, Oil
H 24 in W 36 in
Reminiscence - California Impressionist Rural Scene Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Palm Desert, CA
“Reminiscence” is an oil on canvas painting by California Impressionist, William Wendt, depicting a country scene in his signature muted palette. The artwork is signed lower right, “...
Canvas, Oil
H 12 in W 12 in
"Foxton" - Impressionist Forest Landscape, Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
Artist Statement: "Subject matter to me is a vehicle for me to explore how I observe life. My urban influences are an assembly of varied fabrics stitched together to form a tapestry...
Oil, Panel
H 18 in W 29.5 in
"The Road to our Cabin" Oil painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ulrich Gleiter's (EUR based) "The Road to our Cabin" is an oil painting that depicts a tree lined lane leading into the distance Bio/Artist Statement: German-born artist Ulrich Gle...
Oil, Canvas
"Rio Degebe at Sunset (Alentejo, Portugal)" Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Ulrich Gleiter's (EUR based) "Rio Degebe at Sunset (Alentejo, Portugal)" is an oil painting that depicts the textural hillside of a bright colors. Bio/Artist Statement: German-born artist Ulrich Gleiter (b. 1977) is noted for his landscapes. His style is sometimes reminiscent of German expressionism and the Russian impressionists. He first studied at the Dresden Academy of Arts and later at the Repin Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His work has been recognized with awards in the USA and in Russia and been featured in books and magazines. "Ulrich Gleiter is a citizen of the world. Born in Saarbrücken, Germany, he pursued his undergraduate studies at Dresden’s Academy of Fine Arts, where he learned to paint with the bold, colorful strokes handed down from the early 20th-century German expressionists. Students there prioritized their individuality — no one but you could have made this picture, they were told. Gleiter then absorbed a different view of artistry during his exchange year at Moscow’s Surikov Institute, followed by six more years at the Repin Institute in St. Petersburg. Today Gleiter divides time between Germany, Russia, and the United States, where he has become much admired among plein-airists in such scenic places as Colorado, California, and Wyoming. In our era of diplomatic tensions, when Crimea and Russia appear regularly in the headlines, Gleiter feels a renewed appreciation for nature’s timelessness — for its inspiring capacity to rise above the ins-and-outs of man-made problems. Today, he says, “I often think about the history of an area where I am painting, about how many troubles and beautiful things may have happened there. Most importantly, I am humbled to observe how natural forces never stop moving.” Gleiter turns his searching eye not only to wilderness, but also to the banalities of urban life — to parked cars, the glinting sprawl of an automobile dealer’s lot, retail stores, and even cargo ships. There, too — as in his portraits, nudes, and still lifes — he manages to find abstracted beauty and emotional significance in the interactions of light, color, and air." ( by Peter Trippi, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, 01/2017) SOLO- AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS 2018: SANDAU&LEO Gallery, Berlin. 2017: Gallery 1261...
Linen, Oil
H 25.25 in W 29.13 in D 1 in
American artist William Samuel Horton oil painting 'Cattles grazing at dusk'
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
William Samuel Horton (American, 1865–1936) Cattle Grazing at Dusk Oil on canvas laid down on board 25.25 x 29.125 in. (64 x 74 cm) Provenance: From the estate of the artist and then...
Canvas, Oil
H 30 in W 40 in
The Washington Hotel - California Impressionist Oil Painting, c. 1913
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"The Washington Hotel” is an oil on canvas painting by California Impressionist artist, Evelyn McCormick in a bright and luminous palette. The artwork is signed, lower left, 'M. Evel...
Canvas, Oil
H 44 in W 36 in D 1 in
Autumn Trees, Landscape, Original oil Painting, Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Vahe Yeremyan Work: Original Oil Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Canvas Year: 2021 Style: Contemporary Art, Subject: Autumn Trees, Size: 44" x 36...
Canvas, Oil