How Do You Identify An Impressionist Painting?
The Impressionist movement began in France during the mid-19th century. Initially, impressionism was dismissed as both a fad and an abomination to art. Critics dismissed its emphasis of color over line as the base framework for painting. It was also common to paint impressionist pieces outdoors and near the subjects. In contrast, painting up until then had been painted indoors in a much more controlled environment. It took several decades of concerted effort by impressionist painters to bring their style into the mainstream. Find obvious brush strokes. Unlike previous painting styles which tended to minimize the appearance of the brush on the canvas, impressionism often has very pronounced strokes. Look for bright, unfocused colors. Impressionist paintings are typically very bright, with one color blending into the next and little boundary between the two. This is achieved by painting wet paint over wet paint, a cornerstone of impressionist technique. In previous styles one color had b
