The Impressionism movement started in the 19th century around 60th and lasted for about twenty years. Impressionist made exhibitions in the salons and were condemned by the artists who adhere to classicism in everything. Nature was an inspiration for everyone who developed Impressionism. Artists became ready to go out of their studios to the countryside and paint en plein air. According to Edouard Manet, there are no lines in nature, only areas of color, one against another. He was the first who tried to show the art from a different perspective. Nevertheless, the influence of the Old School had a chance to emerge in the paintings of Edouard Manet. Despite this the ideas, which Edouard Manet implemented, became a subject of discussion for the following generation of artists. The approach in understanding the art started to change.
As a result, in 1974, in Paris, all future impressionists established a new, powerful, and not accepted at that time salon. Artists choose a studio of Felix Nadar. Here, all participants of the Societe Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, etc. exhibit their works (Wolf, 2011). Among present artists were Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Pissarro. At the salon, a famous critic Louis Leroy was present. He was impressed with the Monet’s painting Impression: Sunrise, which the artist presented for the first time. After the salon, everyone started to use the word Impressionism when talking on paintings, which created the image of blurriness. Louis Leroy explained later that the picture creates and makes an impression at the same time.
Impressionism was provoked mainly by inventions of photography and improvement of the train. The first expressed the idea that you can catch the moment while the second invention destroyed this illusion. For impressionists, photography was a symbol of the moment, which every artist tries to fix in the memory. The improvement of the train gave the deeper understanding of the time. Moreover, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Pissarro and other artists felt the transience of time and impossibility to catch the moment in order to make it fixed. In addition, the painting Train in the Snow, 1875 represents the idea of the moment and time fully.
Oscar – Claude Monet is one of the famous representatives of the Impressionism. Being a child, he already knew that he would devote all his life to Art. However, the father did not understand such impulses of the sun. He had a deep conviction that young Oscar will become a merchant. This wish, however, did not come true. Young Claude takes classes at Jacques — Francois Ochard’s studio. Here at the studio he meets his future mentor and best friend, Eugene Boudin. Thanks to Boudin, Monet mastered oil painting technique and is doing this exceptionally en plein air. After his mother dies, Monet stays at Le Havre, where he lives at his aunt’s house pursuing to forget about the tragedy. The environment helps to accept the loss and go further.
Later Monet made a trip to Paris with one purpose to visit the Louvre. During that visit, he mentioned that almost all artists are copying old masters. Instead of following their “example”, Monet is painting sitting by the window. In 1862, he became a student of Charles Gleyre. The style of the painting starts to change. Paintings seem to be affected by broken color and are characterized by rapid, uneven brushstrokes. Monet is the author of a wide range of the paintings. View At Rouelles, Le Havre, 1858 can be considered as a classical piece of art; however, the Impressionism is present. As it was mentioned before, in 1874, he presented his Impression: Sunrise.
On most of his paintings, Monet featured his wife Camille Doncieux. In 1866, one of the first paintings of Camille made him recognizable. It was The Woman in the Green Dress or Camille. However, one of the most recognizable painting isThe Stroll, Camille Monet and Her Son Jean (Woman with a Parasol), 1875. It depicts two people, whom Monet loved very much: his beloved wife Camille and their son Jean.
The painting is very interesting in itself. If look at it from the close distance, it seems that you are facing a spot. Some parts of the painting seem flecking, the other ore covered with the blur. The intensity of colors makes the head a little dizzy. Another interesting thing is that you can easily look at the picture, when the light is mild. As a result, the light helps to avoid a rush, color effects on the eyes. If I step a little bit away from the picture, I can somehow distinguish the silhouettes. In addition, what is interesting, not lines, but the combination of colors helps to do that. The absence of clear, measurable and reasonable lines help feel the main purpose of the picture to impress. The picture highlights the main idea of the Impressionism, which is “the glance”. The light reflecting on the cloud gives the feeling of vanishing presence. It seems that the author tried to hide Camille’s emotions. The picture has a well-balanced color spectrum. This is the reason why there is a feeling of present, when you step away from the picture. However, the figures merge with the sky almost dissolved in it. Nevertheless, the slight intensiveness of the green helps to re-discover the featured figures in the intensive sunlight.
Picture creates the impression of presence, but at the same time, one cannot be certain that it is not illusion or play of the mind. The Stroll, Camille Monet and Her Son Jean is a glance in the real life at the moment, which we usually do not mention because of the time.