Impressionism

Impressionism Project

Claude Monet - Garden at Giverny

[1] Introduction to 19th Century Art

Take notes from the video below about each of the major art movements of the 19th century.

[2] What is Impressionism?

Watch this video and then orally complete this paragraph. Impressionism is about the nature of fugitive light falling on surfaces. This play of _____, as opposed to stationary light, expresses the _____ (lasting for a markedly brief time) quality of modernity. Impressionism is about the _____ , the here and now, and not about the timeless, the forever. Impressionism is about life lived in bursts of _____ in the city. It’s about faster speeds, quickly moving clouds, sunshine reflected on water, and the shimmer of satin ribbons dangling from a baby’s cradle. Above all, Impressionism is about modernity: its _____ and various improvements in the quality of daily life. It is about _____ activities: shopping, vacationing, rushing, strolling, lingering, waiting, working and taking time off to flirt in a Montmartre dance hall or a restaurant on the Seine. The artists who seemed to _____ down these instances of modern life were playfully dubbed “Impressionists” and their paintings became known as “Impressionism.” The Impressionists’ technique developed during the late _____. In the earliest reviews, one of Claude Monet’s works in 1873, titled - Impression: Sunrise inspired the critical nickname “_____.”

[3] Art Analysis

Select one of the samples of Impressionist art shown below and use thinglink.com to create an interactive art analysis. Read the "more information" page below the image and this background reading to learn information to include in these topics:

Subject
Brushstrokes
Lines
Colors
Shadings
Perspective (focal point)
Background

Create an account at thinglink with your gpschools.com email address. When you finish your artwork, share by email to taylora@gpschools.com. [backup website = tackk.com]

more thinglink examples at the bottom of this page

[4] Monet's The Argenteuil Bridge

Watch this video. In your notes, reflect on how Monet's method of painting outdoor light compares to the traditional methods? Explain: “Not what I know; what do I see?”

[5] Background reading for essay

[6] Optional: Learn How to Paint

Impressionist examples

Degas: The Ballet Class

more information
Google Art Project

van Gogh: The Bedroom

more information
Google Art Project

Monet: Regatta at Sainte-Adresse

more information

Renoir: Two Sisters

more information
Google Art Proejct

van Gogh: Wheat Field with Cypresses

more information
Google Art Project

Seurat: The Circus

more information
Google Art Project

Renoir: Marie-Thérèse Durand-Ruel Sewing

more information

In addition to their radical technique, the bright colors of Impressionist canvases were shocking for eyes accustomed to the more sober colors of Academic painting.