Impressionism

Impressionism

Origins and principles of Impressionism

Impressionism has its roots in en plein air painting, a practice pioneered by the Barbizon School. This group of artists, including Théodore Rousseau, Jean-François Millet, and Charles-François Daubigny, dedicated themselves to painting immersed in nature, particularly in the Fontainebleau forest, far from the bustling modernity of Paris.

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (Paris, 1796 – Paris, 1875) is widely recognized as a pivotal precursor to the Impressionist movement. His approach to landscape painting, executed directly on-site with vibrant pictorial matter, marked a revolutionary shift. Unlike the academic tradition of the Grand Prix de Rome, which idealized nature, Corot chose to paint, as he declared, “in complete freedom” during his Italian sojourn (1825–1828).

His d’après nature landscapes, painted spontaneously to capture the fleeting moment, were considered preparatory studies but were hailed as masterpieces by his contemporaries. Corot encouraged Berthe Morisot to “paint the air,” and his technique, based on the mastery of tonal values and a luminous, low-contrast palette, profoundly influenced young Impressionists.

Charles Baudelaire’s essay, Le Peintre de la Vie Moderne (1863), became a cornerstone for Impressionists, celebrating the fusion of art and contemporary reality and urging artists to capture the beauty in the “transience and fleetingness of the city.”

The Impressionist Revolution in France

The emergence of Impressionism was marked by a decisive break with traditional academic conventions.

Salon des Refusés

In 1863, Napoleon III established the Salon des Refusés to showcase works rejected by the conservative jury of the official Salon. Here, Édouard Manet exhibited Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe now at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. A work that provoked scandal not for its painterly technique but for its provocative subject: a nude young woman seated on the grass alongside two fully clothed bourgeois men, an affront to the era’s moral sensibilities.

This event can be regarded as the catalyst for a revolution in the visual arts.

First Impressionist Exhibition

Approximately a decade later, in 1874, a group of artists—including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, and Paul Cézanne—organized an independent exhibition in the former studio of photographer Nadar at 35 Boulevard des Capucines, Paris. It was during this exhibition that Monet’s painting Impression, Soleil Levant inadvertently gave the movement its name.

Critic Louis Leroy, writing in Le Charivari, derided the work and the term itself:

“What does this canvas represent? Look at the catalog: ‘Impression, Soleil Levant.’ Impression, I was certain of it. And I thought to myself, since I am impressed, there must be some impression in it… and what freedom, what ease of execution! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape!”

French Impressionist Painters

Claude Monet

Regarded as the “father of Impressionism,” Claude Monet is celebrated for his series depicting the same subject under varying conditions, such as Haystacks and Rouen Cathedral.

He stated:

“It took me a long time to understand my water lilies… one does not absorb a landscape in a single day.”

Monet’s aim was to explore light and its atmospheric variations through painting, creating ethereal, timeless works. His Water Lilies series, begun at his Giverny estate, represents the culmination of his artistic experimentation. These monumental canvases, donated to the French government, are displayed at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

Berthe Morisot

Berthe Morisot (Bourges, 1841 – Paris, 1895), a student of Corot, mastered en plein air painting and became the sole female artist at the 1874 Nadar exhibition. Defined as the feminine voice of Impressionism, Morisot was a tenacious, cultured, and passionate artist who faced significant challenges in a male-dominated art world. Her rapid, vibrant brushstrokes conceal a profound study of reality, evident in both her portraits and landscapes.

Edgar Degas

Edgar Degas (Paris, 1834 – Paris, 1917), painter and sculptor, is renowned as the “painter of ballerinas,” a subject he explored in numerous masterpieces in both painting and sculpture, capturing dancers in their poetic poses.

Camille Pissarro

Camille Pissarro (Charlotte Amalie, 1830 – Paris, 1903), like other Impressionists, painted landscapes en plein air with a fresh, fluid brushstroke, reflecting Corot’s influence.

Impressionism in Italy and parallel movements

The exhibition From Degas to Boldini highlights the relationship between French Impressionism and contemporaneous Italian artistic currents.

The Italiens de Paris

The Italiens de Paris—Italian artists such as Giuseppe De Nittis, Federico Zandomeneghi, Giovanni Boldini, Vittorio Corcos, and Medardo Rosso—relocated to Paris to engage with the avant-garde innovations showcased at the annual Salons and various editions of the Exposition Universelle, absorbing Impressionist influences.

The Macchiaioli

In Italy, the Macchiaioli, a distinctly Italian movement that emerged in Florence in the mid-19th century, gained significant appreciation in France. Notable figures include Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega, Telemaco Signorini, and Cristiano Banti.

From Degas to Boldini: A Journey through Impressionism between France and Italy

The exhibition From Degas to Boldini: A Journey through Impressionism between France and Italy, held at Palazzo Montani Leoni in Terni and presented by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Terni e Narni, pays homage to Impressionism through works by artists including Mario Schifano and Tano Festa, underscoring the dialogue between French and Italian artistic traditions.