Impressionist Art
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy paints a woman walking along an empty street. She treads along puddles that beautifully showcase the reflections of the architecture and sky i...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil, Panel, Wood Panel
2010s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Ink, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Art
Digital, Giclée
2010s Impressionist Art
Acrylic
Early 2000s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Judy Mudd presents an arched doorway in Venice in a detailed impressionistic rendering. Part of her Urban collection pays homage to diverse cultural architecture. She draws enthrallment from the exquisite and cool colors of Italian design. "I wanted to capture the beauty of the accumulation of colors and the patina of the crumbling building before it is lost to history," shares Judy.
About the Artist
For Judy Mudd, creating a work of art means much more than simply reproducing something she sees. “It is more than painting a subject, it is expressing a feeling,†she explains. Judy develops her paintings with thorough reconnaissance work. She goes out on photo shoots in a variety of atmospheric conditions, sketches outdoors, takes notes, and completes color and value studies. From there, back in the studio, she lets the paintbrush guide her. In addition to being a full-time artist, Judy also conducts painting workshops and classes
Words that describe this painting: watercolor, paper, Italy, architecture, door, Venice, facade, travel, Europe, windows, canal, water, travel, arch, architecture, impressionism, travel, watercolor painting, beige
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
Artist Crystal DiPietro captures a majestic mountain range inspired by an immersive backpacking adventure. Her loose brushstrokes create a sense of movement and...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Carey Parks presents an impressionist still life of dainty flowers on a glass cylinder. Taking a small bunch from a large bouq...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Cotton, Wood, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Pan...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Ink, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Impressionist Art
Offset
2010s Impressionist Art
Color, Canvas
2010s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Screen
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Archival Paper
Early 2000s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Paper, Tempera, Watercolor
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Artist Comments
Provence in spring is a delightful place to be. Olive trees bloom, cypresses sway gently in the breeze, and the sun casts a warm glow over the landscape. Painte...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant landscape painting portrays life in the countryside. Sheep graze peacefully as spring arrives, while people gather around a barn to go about their rou...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
Olive trees fill an orchard in Provence, their leaves stretching towards the sky. Soft streaks of sunlight cast a gentle glow on the ground below. Painted using...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
With his fishing gear slung over his back, a man heads towards the lakeside cabins, leaving his boat docked nearby. The calming blue of the water and distant tr...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Impressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Drawn to the repeating horizontal lines of the distant trees, rock wall, and water, artist Thomas Hoerber captures the scene with watercolor. Two boats rest pea...
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Wood Panel, Acrylic
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Intaglio
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Intaglio
21st Century and Contemporary Impressionist Art
Graphite
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
2010s Impressionist Art
Oil
