The materials and techniques of Renaissance art gave it a distinct style and meaning. Sculptures were most often carved from marble, but bronze and gold were also used. Paintings were generally completed as frescos, or pigment in water painted directly onto a plaster wall.

Impressionists rebelled against classical subject matter and embraced modernity, desiring to create works that reflected the world in which they lived. Uniting them was a focus on how light could define a moment in time, with color providing definition instead of black lines.