Impressionism
Impressionism was a major artistic movement which originated in France in the 1870s. To define impressionism is difficult, because its characteristics are similar to those of other movements that flourished at around the same time. In general, Impressionism had an extreme attention to the transient effects of light and atmosphere. This movement is characterized by a naturalistic style, short lengths, and loose brush strokes that convey the sensation of the moment when the view being painted was observed (hence its name); they are not concerned with details or clear outlines. Impressionist artists had a very specific set of goals, and one of these was to change the standards by which artworks were valued. The Impressionists viewed their paintings as mere visual expressions of the energy in nature that they have experienced. They wanted their viewers to feel that they participated in the creation of such works. Impressionists were more concerned with the simplification of value relations and colors than with detailed, naturalistic portrayals. Simplification of line and color can be found in many paintings by Monet, Manet and Renoir. The Impressionists also attempted to give their work a sense of immediacy and spontaneity. They did not want their paintings to look contrived or premeditated, so they sought to make the viewer feel that he was actually in the presence of the subject being depicted.

Claude Monet, 1906 - Water Lilies - fine art print

Piet Mondrian, 1921 - Farm near Duivendrecht - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1901 - Dalecarlian Girl Knitting. Cabbage Margit - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1906 - Girls from Dalarna Having a Bath - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1895 - After the Bath - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1902 - An avenue in Monet's garden in Giverny - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1886 - Our Daily Bread - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1899 - The Japanese Footbridge - fine art print

Paul Cézanne, 1890 - The Card Players - fine art print

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881 - Two Sisters (On the Terrace) - fine art print

Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, 1910 - Under the Awning, Zarauz - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1874 - The Basin at Argenteuil - fine art print

John Singer Sargent, 1882 - Street in Venice - fine art print

Laurits Andersen Ring, 1898 - At Breakfast - fine art print

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1893 - Picnic (Le Déjeuner sur lherbe) - fine art print

Claude Monet - Water Lilies - fine art print

Laurits Andersen Ring, 1906 - A Sealand Village. Winter - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1891 - Poppy Field (Giverny) - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1897 - Midsummer Dance - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1891 - The Port of Hamburg - fine art print

Eilif Peterssen, 1874 - Absorbed in his Studies - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1885 - The Seine at Giverny - fine art print

Pierre-Auguste Renoir - The Romper - fine art print

Anders Zorn, 1886 - The Bride - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1885 - Étretat: The Beach and the Falaise dAmont - fine art print

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1875 - Woman with a Cat - fine art print

Gustave Caillebotte, 1877 - Paris Street; Rainy Day - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1872 - Springtime - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1903 - Houses of Parliament, London - fine art print

Piet Mondrian, 1935 - Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1884 - Bordighera - fine art print

Paul Gauguin, 1892 - The Siesta - fine art print

Edgar Degas, 1874 - The Dance Class - fine art print

Claude Monet, 1880 - The Artist's Garden at Vétheuil - fine art print

Camille Pissarro, 1895 - Woman Bathing Her Feet in a Brook - fine art print

Camille Pissarro, 1869 - Road to Versailles, Louveciennes - fine art print

Jean Béraud, 1886 - Races at Longchamp; arrival at the post - fine art print

Viggo Johansen, 1903 - An Artist's Gathering - fine art print

Paul Cézanne, 1890 - Harlequin - fine art print

Edgar Degas, 1898 - The Dancers - fine art print
