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Camille Corot:

Painting nature with balanced compositions

Hated industrialization

Tone was more important than romantic colour

Painted some historic monuments from nature

Work was accepted by Salon exhibition

Jean-Francois Millet:

Did not suit Academic painting system

Depicted rural French life, peasants as monumental figures with strongly shaded sculptural forms

Restrained, delicate brushwork

Clear outlines and contour lines

Carefully thought out compositions

Earthy browns and greens, limited use of strong primary colours

Gustave Courbet:

Carefully composed and accurate in detail

Firm subjects achieved through use of tone

Subjects presented in naturalistic way - wanted to paint 'truth, not prettiness'

Rough, textured finish using palette knife (opposite of academic painters polished finish)

Was not accepted by Salon exhibition but won medal by 1848 when there was no selection committee and was exhibited often from then on.

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Paul Cézanne:

Analytical discipline to his work

Breaking down scenes into basic geometric forms like cylinders and cones allowed him to explore the underlying structure of his subjects and create compositions that went beyond mere representation.

Brushstrokes were deliberate and visible in his paintings - texture and depth

He used short, directional brushstrokes to build up form and volume, giving his paintings a sense of solidity and presence.

Palette - relatively muted compared to some of his contemporaries, he achieved richness and depth through his use of color harmonies.

Balanced warm and cool tones to create subtle contrasts and relationships between different elements in his compositions.

Vincent Van Gogh:

Short but most intense painting career. Died age 37 by suicide.

Liked impressionists bright colours and was also inspired by Japanese prints

Strong contrasts of bold colours used to express emotions

Expressive lines and thick (impasto), quick brushworks

Paul Gauguin:

Painted with Pissarro and collected Impressionist paintings.

Worked with Cézanne and moved away from Impressionism

Van Gogh introduced him to flat colours and off centre compositions of Japanese prints

'Synthetism' - simplified, thick and flat colour

Non-naturalistic representation and non-naturalistic colours to express emotions

Disregard for perspective

Symbolic images

Cloisonné shapes in vibrant colours with dark outlines around them

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EDOUARD MANET (1832 - 1883)

Upper middle class family

Academic instruction frustrated him but he respected Paris salon.

His ‘childish ignorance of drawing mocked renaissance’

Morisot encouraged Plein Air.

1881 he won a medal but died the following year

Influence of Photography (Music in the Tuileries)

Loose unblended brushstrokes.

Strong contrasts of light and dark

Limited range of colours

More realist than impressionist

Use of black (unlike impressionists)

Painted horseracing, theatres, dances, cafes, friends

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Frustrated by Academy rejection - an anonymous society of painters, sculptors and engravers held an independent exhibition (1874)

Critics said - they 'couldn't draw', used 'strange compositions' and 'vulgar colours'

Claude Monet

Berthe Morisot

Auguste Renoir

Edgar Degas

Auguste Rodin

Camille Pissarro

Mary Cassatt

Camille Claudel

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 Édouard Manet (Bridge between Realism - Impressionism)

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 Édouard Manet (Bridge between Realism - Impressionism)

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Massive influence on impressionists, they met with him regularly but he never exhibited with them

Expressive brushstrokes, somewhat blurred style that enhanced the sense of movement -impressionist elements

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Paris - leading centre for finance, fashion, commerce, arts (1860s)

Redevelopment continued under Haussman (Civic planner)

Railways and Travel - Train stations, hotels, exhibition halls, department stores.

1875 - parks, gardens squares

Art - Academie des Beaux Arts dominated content and style. Blended, muted colours.

New racecourse (Longchamp) 1857 first race

Artists depicted horse racing scenes (Manet. Degas)

Franco-Prussian War (1870/71)

Napoleon III disastrous war - empire ended abruptly

Left wing communist revolution

1000s excuted under 3rd republic - rebuild

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The Angelus 1858

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France became a republic after the Franco Prussian War ended in 1871.

The 3rd Republic was politically unstable because of rivalary between Monarchists and Republicans

Period of imperial expansion, considerable scientific/artistic achievement.

French Colonial Empire developed. Colonies in North Africa, Indochina and many islands such as Tahiti

Art - 1870s/80s - Impressionism dominated Avant Garde Art in the France. Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin did not like focus on style over subject matter and went their own route with Post-Impressionism (Stylistically different from Impressionists but also shared their work in independent exhibitions.

Primitivism - Primitive art changed the direction of European painting at the turn of 20th Century. Facisination with less industrially developed cultures and a romantic notion that non Western people were more linked to nature, spirituality.

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Before the emergence of the Realist movement in French art in the mid-19th century, France went through significant political changes that influenced the artistic landscape. These included revolutions, the establishment of a republic, and periods of empire.

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Salon & Salon des refusés (R).

Paris - chaotic, overcrowded, crime, disease rife (early 19th century).

City modernized (quays, bridges, streets widened, trees planted, sewer network).

Booming economy - leisurely lifestyle.

Open spaces - middle class wealth, concerts.

New middle class art collectors.

Experts at Academy (classical, not radical)

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Early 19th Century - railways, machinery and new rich middle class.

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CÉZANNE:

'Constructions of Nature', he turned nature into patterns, shapes and colours.

Distorted objects and compositions to prevent them becoming rigid.

Multiple perspective - Objects seen from different positions at 1 time/tabletops tilted

Interest in relationship between objects rather than traditional perspective

VAN GOGH:

Learned Impressionist and divisionism methods from Camille Pissarro

Energetic brushstrokes

Impasto -applying paint thickly so it is raised from the surface. This adds texture and reflects light.

Favorite colour - yellow

GAUGUIN:

Dreamed about nature and painted from imagination

Emphasis on pattern and colour harmonies

Sense of mystery in paintings

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The Academy set the standard for art (structured in technical manner, Composition, perspective and proportion were strict)

Level 1: History painting, Level 2: Literature & Portraiture, Level 3: Landscapes/outdoor settings (& genre scenes)

Highly finished surface (Polished enamel)

The Salon - exhibited selected artwork that met their strict criteria

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Sharp contrasts of light and shade over academic perspective and shading.

Figures tended to flatten.

Photography (lighting bleached out flesh tones reduced grades of tone)

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Manet paved the way for Impressionism - loose, flat style of painting, modern themes

Wanted to modernize great traditions to create modern art for modern Paris.

17th century Dutch and Spanish painting inspired Manet.

Admired Venetian art.

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Classical themes were popular Academic subjects and often depicted nude female figures (nymphs or goddesses rather than real characters)

Academic artists - layers of paint. Often layers were added without model present

Manet preferred to paint with model in front of him, completing paintings quickly with loose brushstrokes and parts of canvas sparsely covered. Used natural light and did not glaze or layer at the end.

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Struggle against academic system - rejection and ridicule.

Not understood at the time (meaning, message)

Unique style and development in painting bridged the gap between realism and impressionism

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Photography and Japanese influence - Flat planes, bright colours, irregular shapes

Colour and light - used mid range tones that were reflective of light. Avoided black and grey and mixed complementary colours for shadows

Light on water - slabs of colour with small strokes

Optical mixing - placing vivid colours together to mix in the eye of the viewer

Loose brushstrokes - short, thick strokes and broken colour techniques like Tache captured movement, quivering light and essence of subject.

Bright, vibrant colors to depict natural scenes and daily life, abandoning the muted tones of academic painting. They mixed colors on the canvas rather than relying on traditional methods of blending, which allowed them to create more vibrant and spontaneous representations of everyday moments.

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Industrial revolution - technological advancements during 1860s affected artists lives and methods

Railway - Parisians could travel to the countryside, leisure areas to paint

Colour Theory - Early 19th C scientist developed the colour wheel. Impacted their use of contrast and harmony in colours. Plein Air - Observe colour.

Photography - fashionalble art form, inspired artists to persue other means of creative expression

Japonism - Japanise wood block prints. Simple everyday subjects, decorative manner

New materials - French easel (light, compact). Metal clamp on brushes, paint tubes, new pigments. Neo-Impressionism - light, colour. Sculpture - Rodin, capturing moment.

While earlier movements, like Neoclassicism and Romanticism, often focused on historical, mythological, or elite subjects, Impressionists embraced modern life. They frequently painted scenes of urban leisure, outdoor gatherings, and bourgeois activities. These everyday moments became the subjects of fine art, such as people at cafés, parks, or along the streets.

Unlike their Realist predecessors who focused on gritty social commentary and realism, Impressionists emphasized light, color, and the transient nature of everyday life

Unlike academic painting, which often favored static poses, Impressionists were interested in the movement of people and objects in daily life. They captured fleeting moments of activity, whether it was the motion of a dancer, a person walking, or the wind moving through trees.

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Impressionists wanted to capture a fleeting moment in time.

They painted light and movement. Reflections on water, dappled sunlight filtering though trees

The Tache (french for blot of stain) - thickly applied , bold, even stroke of 1 colour

Wet on Wet - used pure unmixed colour, added new layers before previous layer was dry (blurred effect)

Unvarnished surface to keep colours bright. Degas diluted paint with turpentine to eliminate shine.

Pastels - Degas

Clay or plaster casts sculpture - Rodin

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Art reacted to politics

Restrained, disciplined, strict style - reflected the mood of the revolution

Jacques Louis David - official artist for Government

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Emphasised emotions and imagination

Themes of artwork - Struggle and Justice

Allegorical (interpreted) fantastical scenes rather than represented a real event

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Cézanne - Thought impressionism was limited because of the focus with colour and light. He thought Impressionist work lacked structure and was nothing more than a 'brightly coloured haze'. He wanted to make impressionist art solid and durable.

Van Gogh - Developed personal and expressive style in Paris. Instead of dark colours, he started to use bright, pure tones and experimented with matching colours and emotions.

Gauguin - 'Synthetism': Simple forms with eliminated details, thick lines and large flat areas of colour, no shadows or linear perspective, suggested depth with planes of colour.

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Cézanne:

Painted bathers, landscapes, portraits and still lives. Analytical method - interested in structure and form

Van Gogh:

Painted self portraits, peasants, his bedroom, neighbors and streets. He painted landscapes in the open air in all weather conditions. Painting allowed him to express inner turmoil and celebrate the world around him

Gauguin:

Non - naturalistic imagery like Japanese woodblock prints. Harsh reds, blacks and whites characterize some of his work. Lithographs, woodcutting

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Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin did not receive public recognition and their artwork was not appreciated in their own time. However, they all inspired the modern art movements of the 20th century:

Gauguin - influenced the Fauvism and expressionists

Cézanne - influenced Cubism and Fauvism

Van Gogh - Influenced Expressionism, Fauves and Picasso (Cubism)

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Composition - strayed from Academy standard at the time (Courbet)

Surface texture - thick flecks and slabs of paint rather than carefully modelled and finished appearance (Courbet)

Loose gestural brushstrokes (Millet)

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New railway system - easier to travel to countryside or coast for inspiration / create artwork outside

Painting outside was more common due to inventions - Collapsible tin painting tube and small, folding easel

Rejection of the idealized, romanticized subjects that were common in previous art movements like Romanticism or Neoclassicism.

Realist artists focused on depicting the everyday lives of ordinary people, particularly from the working class, peasants, and laborers. This was a dramatic shift, as the elite and aristocratic classes had historically been the primary subjects in art.

Realist artists embraced modern techniques that allowed them to capture the true texture, color, and light of their subjects. They experimented with looser, less formal brushstrokes, often leaving some elements slightly unfinished to create a sense of immediacy.

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Barbizon School of plein air painters were inspired by peasants, houses, forests

Large scale paintings were traditionally reserved for grand/noble subjects but Courbet presented ordinary subjects and everyday people on these large canvases, which was seen as shocking at the time

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Courbet - leading Realist artist in France

The Academic system remained the only way an artist could achieve recognition at the time

Modern movements were influenced by idea of challenging the Academy

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Post - Impressionist artists, Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin inspired the modern art movements of the 20th century

Gauguin inspired Fauvism

Cézanne inspired Cubism

Van Gogh inspired Expressionism

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En Plein Air

Greater awareness of effects of light on colour

Colour Theory and new equipment influenced them

Impressionism was ridiculed but was the 1st distinctly modern movement

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Painting that gave the Impressionists their name - critic described as 'an impression of nature, nothing more'.

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Fascinated by natural light and painting outside

Exploring the same subject matter under different conditions and lighting

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The Bridge with Wisteria, 1856 by Utagawa Hiroshige - similarities to Water Lily piece by Monet

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Japanese Prints inspired many impressionist work

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Japanese Prints inspired many impressionist work

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Experimenting with colour theory

Not interested in painting quickly and fleeting moments

Interested in clarity, solidity and timeless grandeur

Divisionism - Separation of colours

Pointillism - Dots

Optical mixing - From a distance, colours blend together in the viewers eye (e.g. red and blue dots = purple to viewer)

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Did not like to be called Impressionist or painting outside

Academic training, valued quality drawing and line over colour - accepted in Salon but was not happy with the display/hanging of his paintings in the exhibitions.

Considered an Impressionist because he was closely associated with the group and exhibited with them, despite preferring to call himself a "Realist" or "Independent". He shared their interest in capturing fleeting moments of modern life.

Focused on figures and working class women, dancers became his favourite theme.

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Busy street scene painted in 2 stages with years in between.

The years between 2 stages of painting resulted in differences between right and left sides of painting

Right - 1880 outdated fashion and hats, bright colours and light feathery brushstrokes

Left - Simpler fashion of 1885, no hat, subdued colours and more polished painting finish

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'Why shouldn't Art be pretty, there are enough unpleasant things in the world' - Renoir

Monet encouraged him to paint outdoors, they were very close friends and painted at the River Seine.

Painted people in Cafés, dancehalls, boats or riverside scenes, portraits or women and children.

Modern life, working class enjoying social activities

Appealing happy scenes = Achieved artistic success quickly

First time such a large painting with so many figures was painted outdoors.

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Defied societal expectations for women of her time by remaining an artist and using her personal experiences as subject matter, offering a female perspective rarely seen in art at the time.

Only woman to participate in the first 3 impressionist exhibitions and was a founding members of the movement.

Married to Manets brother

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Two Ballet Dancers in a Dressing Room 1880 - pastels

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Degas was captivated by the vibrant ballet world in Paris. From the 1870s, he observed and recorded the graceful gestures and movements of dancers, first representing performances and, later, studio rehearsals. He repeatedly described the details of the dancers’ agility, precision, and strength in a wide variety of media.

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Sculptures broke barriers - strongly realistic figures, emotion, sexuality

No rigid academic training

Rough and unfinished surfaces instead of traditional polished finish.

Fingertip markings often visible on finished pieces

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Only Artists to exhibit in all 8 of the Impressionist group exhibitions

Admired Realist Corot and early work was accepted in the Salon.

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Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? 1897