Impressionism Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story "There are no lines in nature, only areas of color, one against another." Édouard Manet "You would hardly believe how difficult it is to place a figure alone on a canvas, and to concentrate all the interest on this single and universal figure and still keep it living and real." Édouard Manet "If the painter works directly from nature, he ultimately looks for nothing but momentary effects; he does not try to compose, and soon he gets monotonous." Pierre-Auguste Renoir "If painting is no longer needed, it seems a pity that some of us are born into the world with such a passion for line and color." Mary Cassatt "It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory." Edgar Degas "Work at the same time on sky, water, branches, ground, keeping everything going on an equal basis... Don't be afraid of putting on colour...

Paint generously and unhesitatingly, for it is best not to lose the first impression." Camille Pissarro "I am following Nature without being able to grasp her; I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers." Claude Monet "After 1918, as we know, enlightened public - as well as critical - esteem went decidedly to Cézanne, Renoir and Degas, and to Van Gogh, Gauguin and Seurat. The 'unorthodox' Impressionists - Monet, Pissarro, Sisley - fell under a shadow. It was then that the 'amorphousness' of Impressionism became an accepted idea; and it was forgotten that Cézanne himself had belonged to, and with, Impressionism as he had to nothing else." Clement Greenberg, from essay "The Later Monet" KEY ARTISTS Like The Art Story on Facebook Beginnings Gustave Courbet and The Challange to Official Art The Realist movement, championed by Gustave Courbet, first confronted the official Parisian art establishment in the middle of the nineteenth century. Courbet was an anarchist that thought the art of his time closed it eyes on realities of life.

The French were ruled by oppressive regime and much of the public was in in the throes of poverty. Instead of depicting such scenes, the artists of the time concentrated on idealized nudes and glorious depictions of nature. In his protest, Courbet financed an exhibition of his work right opposite the Universal Exposition in Paris of 1855, a bold act that led to the emergence of future artists that would challange the status quo. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Exhibitions in Paris and The Salon des Refusés In 1863, at the official yearly art salon, the all-important event of the French art world, a large number of artists were not allowed to participate, leading to public outcry. The same year, the Salon des Refusés ("Salon of the Refused") was formed in response to allow the exhibition of works by artists who had previously been refused entrance to the official salon.

Some of the exhibitors were Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, James Whistler, and the early iconoclast Édouard Manet. Although promoted by authorities and sanctioned by Emperor Napoleon III, the 1863 exhibition caused a scandal, due largely to the unconventional themes and styles of works such as Manet's Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (1863), which featured clothed men and naked women enjoying an afternoon picnic (the women were not classical depictions of a nude, but rather women that took off their clothes). Édouard Manet and the Painting Revolution Édouard Manet was among the first and most important innovators to emerge in the public exhibition scene in Paris. Although he grew up in admiration of the Old Masters, he began to incorporate an innovative, looser painting style and brighter palette in the early 1860s. He also started to focus on images of everyday life, such as scenes in cafes, boudoirs, and out in the street.

His anti-academic style and quintessentially modern subject matter soon attracted the attention of artists on the fringes and influenced a new type of painting that would diverge from the standards of the official salon. Similar to Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, his other works such as Olympia (1863) gave the emerging group ideas to depict that were not previously considered art-worthy. French Cafes and Diversity One of the popular venues for the individuals that were to become the Impressionist to meet and discuss painting and art were Parisian cafes. In particular, Cafe Guerbois in Montmartre was frequented by Manet starting 1866. Renoir, Bazille, Sisley, Monet, Degas, Cezanne and Pissarro would come, while Caillebotte and Bazille had studios nearby and would often join the gatherings. Other personalities joined the creative group including writers, critics, and the photographer Nadar, and most notably the writer Emile Zola that both added to the ethos of the group, and later championed their work in print. Part of the interesting dynamics of the group was the variety of personalities, economic circumstances, and political views.

Monet, Renoir, and Pissarro had lower and working class backgrounds while Morisot, Caillebotte, and Degas were from haute bourgeoisie roots. Mary Cassatt was American (and a woman) and Alfred Sisley was Anglo-French. This diversity of personalities may be the reason so much success arose from all these individual, and group, efforts. The Impressionist Exhibitions Though not yet united by any particular style, the fledgling group shared a general sense of antipathy toward overbearing academic standards of fine art, and decided to come together in the group themselves Société Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, etc.("Artists, Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, Inc."). In general, all the painters had very limitted success financially and had few works accepted in the salon exhibitions in Paris. So they held an alternative exhibition in 1874 in the studio of photographer Felix Nadar. It was not until the third exhibition in 1877 that they began to call themselves the Impressionists.

While their first exhibition received limited public attention and most of the eight exhibition they held actually cost money rather than earned money for the cooperative of artists, their later shows attracted vast audiences, with attendance records well in to the thousands. Despite some attention, most members of the group sold very few works in all the years the exhibitions took place, and some of the artists were incredibly poor through many of these years. The Term "Impressionism" The movement gained its name after the hostile French critic Louis Leroy, reviewing the first major Impressionist exhibition of 1874, seized on the title of Claude Monet's painting Impression, Sunrise (1873), and accused the group of painting nothing but impressions. The Impressionists embraced the moniker, though they also referred to themselves as the "Independents," referring to the subversive principles of the Société des Artistes Indépendants and the group's efforts to detach itself from academic artistic conventions.

Although the styles practiced by the Impressionists varied considerably (and in fact not all of the artists would accept Leroy's title), they were bound together by a common interest in the representation of visual perception, based in fleeting optical impressions, and the focus on ephemeral moments of modern life. Concepts and Styles Claude Monet and Plein Air Painting Claude Monet is perhaps the most celebrated of the Impressionists. He was renowned for his mastery of natural light and painted at many different times of day in an attempt to capture changing conditions. He tended to paint simple impressions or subtle hints of his subjects, using very soft brushstrokes and unmixed colors to create a natural vibrating effect, as if nature itself were alive on the canvas. He did not wait for paint to dry before applying successive layers; this "wet on wet" technique produced softer edges and blurred boundaries that merely suggested a three-dimensional plane, rather than depicting it realistically. Monet's technique of painting outdoors, known as plein air painting, was practiced widely among the Impressionists. Inherited from the landscape painters of the Barbizon School, this approach led to innovations in the representation of sunlight and the passage of time, which were two central motifs of Impressionist painting.

While Monet is largely associated with the tradition of plein air, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley, among others, also painted outside in order to create their lucid portrayals of the transience of the natural world. Impressionist Figures by Degas and Renoir Other Impressionists, like Edgar Degas, were less interested in painting outdoors and rejected the idea that painting should be a spontaneous act. Considered a highly skilled draftsman and portraitist, Degas preferred indoor scenes of modern life: people sitting in cafes, musicians in an orchestra pit, ballet dancers performing mundane tasks at rehearsal. He also tended to delineate his forms with greater clarity than Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, using harder lines and thicker brushstrokes. Similarly, other artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot, and Mary Cassatt focused on the figure and the internal psychology of the individual. Renoir, known for his use of vibrant, saturated colors, depicted the daily activities of individuals from his neighborhood of Montmartre, and, in particular, portrayed the social pastimes of Parisian society.

While Renoir, like Morisot and Cassatt, also painted outdoors, he emphasized the emotional attributes of his subjects, using light and loose brushwork to highlight the human form. The Women of Impressionism Whereas the male Impressionists painted figures mainly within the public context of the city, Morisot focused on the female figure and the private lives of women in late-nineteenth-century society. The first woman to exhibit with the Impressionists, she created rich compositions that highlighted the internal, highly personal sphere of feminine society, often emphasizing the maternal bond between mother and child in paintings such as The Cradle (1872). Together with Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzales, and Marie Bracquemond, she was considered one of the three central female figures of the movement. Cassatt, an American painter who moved to Paris in 1866 and began exhibiting with the Impressionists in 1879, depicted the private sphere of the home, but also represented the woman in the public spaces of the newly modernized city, as in her painting At the Opera (1879).

Her work features a number of innovations, including the reduction of three-dimensional space and the application of bright, even garish colors in her paintings, both of which heralded later developments in modern art. Impressionist Cityscapes Since the movement was deeply embedded within Parisian society, Impressionism was also greatly influenced by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann's renovation of the city in the 1860s. Haussmann's urban project, also referred to as "Haussmannization," sought to modernize the city and largely centered in the construction of wide boulevards, which became the literal hub of public social activity. This reconstruction of the city also led to the rise of the flaneur: an idler or lounger who roamed the public spaces of the city in order to be seen, while remaining detached from the crowd. In many Impressionist paintings, the detachment of the flaneur is closely associated with modernity and the estrangement of the individual within the metropolis. These themes of urbanity are depicted in the work of Gustave Caillebotte, a later proponent of the Impressionist movement, who focused on panoramic views of the city and the psychology of its citizens.

Although more realistic in style than other Impressionists, Caillebotte's images such as Paris, Rainy Day (1877) depict the artist's reaction to the changing nature of modern society, showing a flaneur in his characteristic black coat and top hat, strolling through the open space of the boulevard while gazing at passersby. Other Impressionists depicted the fleeting impressions and movements of the metropolis in cityscapes such as Monet's Boulevard des Capucines (1873) and Pissarro's The Boulevard Montmarte, Afternoon (1897). Similarly, these works emphasize the geometrical arrangement of public space through the careful delineation of buildings, trees, and streets. By applying crude brushstrokes and impressionistic streaks of color, they evoke the rapid tempo of modern life as a central facet of late-nineteenth-century urban society. Later Developments Although the Impressionists proved to be a diverse group, they came together regularly to discuss their work and exhibit. The group collaborated on eight exhibitions between 1874 and 1886 while slowly beginning to unravel.

Many felt they had mastered the early, experimental styles that had won them attention and wanted to move on to explore other avenues. Others, anxious about the continued commercial failure of their work, changed course. The Triumph of Impressionism The ultimate acceptance and glory of the Impressionist movement is largely the achievement of Paul Durand-Ruel, a French art dealer that lived in London. Monet met Durand-Ruel in 1971 and the gallerist purchased Impressionist works and exhibited them in London for many years. Sales were meager, but starting in the late 1880s, he started showing Impressionsist works in the United States with growing success. In the next few years, having exhibited in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago Durand-Ruel was able to entice an audience of American buyers that bought more Impressionist works than were ever sold in France. Prices for Impressionst works skyrocketed (as much as 10 times), to the point that Monet became a millionaire. Moreover, Impressionism almost became academic to the point that a whole group of American painters descended on Monet's residence in Giverny to learn from the leader of the group.

The Inspiration for Future Modernists Meanwhile, the lessons of the style were taken up by a new generation. If Manet bridged the gap between Realism and Impressionism, then Paul Cézanne was the artist who bridged the gap between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Cézanne learned much from Impressionist technique, but he evolved a more deliberate style of paint handling, and, toward the end of his life, a closer attention to the structure of the forms that his broad, repetitive brushstrokes depicted. As he once put it, he wished to "redo [Nicolas] Poussin after nature and make Impressionism something solid and durable like the Old Masters." Cézanne wished to break down objects into their basic geometric constituents and depict their essential building blocks. This experiment would ultimately prove highly influential for the development of Cubism by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Later still, many modern artists looked to Impressionism. For example, although the movement is not generally considered to have had a powerful impact on Abstract Expressionism, one can trace important similarities in its artists' works.

Philip Guston was once described as a latter-day "American Impressionist," and the surface qualities, suggestions of light, and "all-over" treatment of form in Jackson Pollock's work, all point to the work of Claude Monet. Content compiled and written by Justin Wolf Edited and published by The Art Story Contributors . [Internet]. . TheArtStory.org website. Available from: [Accessed ] Haystacks, (Sunset) - Monet, Oscar-Claude - Gallery - Web gallery of art Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, United States Haystacks is the title of a series of impressionist paintings by Claude Monet. The primary subjects of all of the paintings in the series are stacks of hay in the field after the harvest season. The title refers primarily to a twenty-five canvas series (Wildenstein Index Number 1266-1290) begun in the end of summer of 1890 and continued through the following spring, using that year's harvest. Some use a broader definition of the title to refer to other paintings by Monet with this same theme.

The series is known for its thematic use of repetition to show differences in perception of light across various times of day, seasons, and types of weather. The subjects were painted in fields near Monet's home in Giverny, France. The series is among Monet's most notable works. Although the largest collections of Monet's work are held in Paris at the Musée d'Orsay and Musée Marmottan Monet, Boston, Massachusetts at the Museum of Fine Arts, New York City at the Metropolitan Museum and Museum of Modern Art and Tokyo at the National Museum of Western Art, six of the twenty-five haystacks pieces are currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States.[ The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, United States holds two, and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France holds one.

Other museums that hold parts of this series in their collection include the Getty Center in Los Angeles, Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut (which also has one of five from the earlier 1888-9 harvest), National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, Kunsthaus Zürich in Zürich, Switzerland, and Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Several private collections also hold Haystack paintings. Monet background Monet settled in Giverny in 1883. Most of his paintings from 1883 until his death 40 years later were of scenes within 3 kilometres (2 mi) of his home. Indeed, the haystacks themselves were situated just outside his door. He was intensely aware of and fascinated by the visual nuances of the region’s landscape and the variation in the seasons. Monet had already painted the same subject in different moods. However, as he matured as a painter, his depictions of atmospheric influences were increasingly concerned not only with specific effects, but with overall color harmonies that allowed for an autonomous use of rich color.

The conventional wisdom was that the compact, solid haystacks were both a simple subject and an unimaginative one. However, contemporary writers and friends of the artist noted that Monet's subject matter was always carefully chosen, the product of careful thought and analysis. Monet undertook a study of capturing their vibrance under direct light, and juxtaposing the same subject from the same view in more muted atmospheric conditions. It was not unusual for Monet to alter the canvases back in his studio, in search of harmonious transitions within the series. Series background The stacks depicted herein are variously referred to as haystacks and grainstacks. The 15-to-20-foot (4.6 to 6.1 m) stacks emblematized the Normandy region of France by emphasizing the beauty and prosperity of the countryside. The haystacks functioned as storage facilities that preserved the wheat until stalk and chaff could be more efficiently separated. The Norman method of storing hay was to use hay as a cover to shield ears of wheat from the elements until they could be threshed. The threshing machines traveled from village to village. Thus, although the wheat was harvested in July it often took until March for all the farms to be reached.

These stacks became common in the mid 19th century. This method survived for 100 years, until the inception of combine harvesters. Although shapes of stacks were regional, it was common for them to be round in the Paris basin and the region of Normandy in which Giverny is situated. Monet noticed this subject on a casual walk. He requested that his stepdaughter Blanche Hoschedé bring him two canvases. He believed that one canvas for overcast weather and one for sunny weather would be sufficient. However, he realized he could not demonstrate the several distinct impressions on one or two canvases. As a result, his willing helper was quickly carting as many canvases as a wheelbarrow could hold. His daily routine involved carting paints, easels, and many unfinished canvases and working on whichever canvas most closely resembled the scene of the moment as conditions fluctuated. Although he began painting realistic depictions en plein air, he eventually revised initial effects in a studio to both generate contrast and preserve the harmony within the series. Monet produced numerous Haystack paintings.

His earlier landscapes (Wildenstein Index Number 900-995, 1073) had included haystacks in an ancillary manner. Monet had also produced five paintings (Wildenstein Index Numbers 1213-1217) with haystacks as the primary subject during the 1888 harvest.The general consensus is that only the canvases produced using the 1890 harvest (Wildenstein Index Number 1266-1290) comprise the haystacks series proper. However, some include several additional paintings when referencing this series. For example, Hill-Stead Museum discusses their two serial haystack or grainstack paintings even though one is from the 1890 harvest and the other is from the 1888 harvest. This series is one of Monet's earliest that relied on thematic repetition to illustrate nuances in perception across natural variation such as times of day, seasons, and types of weather. For Monet, the concept of producing and exhibiting a series of paintings related by subject and vantage point began in 1889, with at least ten paintings done at the Valley of the Creuse, and subsequently shown at the Galerie Georges Petit.

This interest in the serial motif would continue for the rest of his career. Thematic issues Although the mundane subject was constant throughout this series, the underlying theme may be seen as the transience of light. This concept enabled him to use repetition to show nuances of perception as seasons, time of day, and weather changes. The constant subject provided the basis from which comparisons could be made in changes of light across this nuanced series. The first paintings in the series were started in late September or early October 1890, and he continued producing these paintings for about seven months. These paintings made Monet the first painter to paint such a large quantity of pictures of the same subject matter differentiated by light, weather, atmosphere and perspective. Beginning in the 1880s and 1890s, Monet focused on Haystacks and a number of other subjects (other series included the Mornings on the Seine, Poplars, Rouen Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, and the Water Lilies, among others).

In order to work on many paintings virtually simultaneously, he would awake before dawn so as to begin at the earliest time of day: “ ...for the Early Mornings on the Seine series, he chose to paint at and before dawn, which made it 'an easier subject and simpler lighting than usual', because at this time of day the effects did not change so rapidly; however, this involved him getting up at 3:30 a.m., which seems to have been unprecedented even for so inveterate an early riser as Monet." ” As the morning progressed and the light changed he would switch to sequentially later canvas settings, sometimes working on as many as ten or twelve paintings a day, each one depicting a slightly different aspect of light. The process would be repeated over the course of days, weeks, or months, depending on the weather and the progress of the paintings, until they were completed. As the seasons changed the process was renewed. Certain effects of light only last for a few minutes, thus the canvases documenting such ephemera received attention for no more than a few minutes a day. Further complicating matters, the light of subsequent sunrises, for example, could alter substantially, and would require separate canvases within the series.

Subsequently, different hues are evident in each painting, and in each work color is used to describe not only direct but reflected light. At differing times of day and in various seasons haystacks absorb the light from diverse parts of the color spectrum. As a result, the residual light that is reflected off of the haystacks is seen as ever-changing, and manifests in distinctive coloring. Many notable painters have been influenced by this particular series including Les Fauves, Derain and Vlaminck. Kandinsky's memoirs refer to the series: “What suddenly became clear to me was the unsuspected power of the palette, which I had not understood before and which surpassed my wildest dreams.” The Haystacks series was a financial success. Fifteen of these were exhibited by Durand-Ruel in May 1891, and every painting sold within days. The exhibit met with great public acclaim. Octave Mirbeau described Monet's daring series as representing "what lies beyond progress itself." Others described the grainstacks as "faces of the landscape," and viewers seemed to take assurance that the series would help preserve rural traditions despite industrialization and urbanization.

They represented the countryside as a retreat from daily problems and home for contentment with nature. Camille Pissarro said "These canvases breathe contentment." Most of the paintings sold immediately for as much as 1,000 francs. Additionally, Monet’s prices in general began to rise steeply. As a result, he was able to buy outright the house and grounds at Giverny and to start constructing a waterlily pond. After years of mere subsistence living he was able to enjoy success. The series demonstrates his intense study of light and atmospheric conditions and Monet was a perfectionist in his renderings. Monet destroyed more than one series of paintings that he found wanting. However, this series escaped his own harsh self-criticism and destruction. How to Paint like Monet - Impressionist Painting Tips How to Paint like Monet How to Paint like Monet Learn how to paint like the Impressionist Claude Monet By Marion Boddy-Evans Updated November 07, 2016. Claude Monet is probably the best loved of all the Impressionist painters, and he was certainly the most influential.

His paintings attempting to capture the fleeting effects of sunlight at different times of the day and in various environments are still captivating nearly 100 years after his death. If anything, in our era of visual overload, the freshness of how Monet saw the world is even more striking. Impact of the Light: Monet in Africa What was Impressionism All About? Impressionist emerged in France around 1870, when a group of painters worked loosely together, attempting to capture their fleeting impressions of a scene, or the emotions a scene created in them. They painted in a totally new way, in a style that wasn't highly finished nor realistic, and their subjects were neither classical nor historical. At the time it was a dramatic departure from convention and the painters were ridiculed by critics and society. continue reading below our video 5 Easy-to-Learn Hobbies for Kids Art Styles, Schools, and Movements: What's the Difference? What Painting Techniques did Monet Use? The painting technique fundamental to Impressionism is that of broken color , which is supposed to achieve the actual sensation of light itself in a painting. Monet worked primarily in oil paint , but he also used pastels and carried a sketchbook.

He used quite a limited range of colors in his paintings, banishing browns and earth colors from his palette. By 1886, black had also disappeared. Asked in 1905 what colors he used, Monet said: "The point is to know how to use the colors, the choice of which is, when all is said and done, a matter of habit." Impressionism is Not a Dirty Word Where to See Monet’s Paintings Most large museums in the USA and Europe have a Monet or three in their collection, which can usually be viewed online, such as Moma, The Met , and Tate. The Musée Marmottan in Paris has the world's largest collection, thanks to donations by Monet’s son Michel and Victorine Donop de Monchy, the daughter of Georges de Bellio, a friend of Monet and his doctor. Unfortunately very little of this museum’s collection can be seen online, but if you ever get to Paris , it’s definitely worth a visit.

Impressionism: The Innovations and Influence font size: a a a Impressionism: The Innovations and Influence Contemporaries of the first Impressionists used the term “Impressionist” derisively. Why were Impressionists seen as artists who changed accepted concepts on color and light, and why did they challenge later artists to provide even bolder solutions through their work? How, within this framework, did Impressionists develop their own personal manner of depicting their modern world? Impression: Sunrise, Claude Monet, 1874. Impressionism takes its name from this painting, one of the initial works exhibited by artists in Paris who were dubbed by critics, “painters of mere impressions.” Impressionism got its start when several painters began using more natural methods of lighting their work and looking at the world with freshness and immediacy. Their paintings were refused by the official Salon. Because they have certain aims in common, they band together to exhibit, often in a photographer’s Paris studio.

The first exhibition, in 1874, featured Claude Monet’s Impression: Sunrise, prompting hostile critics to dismiss them all as “painters of mere impressions.” The implication is that these artists are incapable of producing a properly composed and finished painting. Lavacourt under the Snow, Claude Monet, 1878-81. An Impressionist paints landscapes and outdoor scenes outside, often working for a very short period of time. Then, as the light changes, the Impressionist stops working, returning on a subsequent day when the light is similar. (See the entry on Monet’s Haystacks .) Although French painters earlier in the century had also confronted a landscape directly, as had the English painter Constable in some of his smaller oil paintings, these artists used more conventional (and therefore acceptable) colors. The Impressionist method of working is made possible by new advances both by the packaging of colors in portable collapsible tubes, and because of the new range of colors available (some less fugitive, and some certainly less poisonous!). While these are important and practical considerations, it is the Impressionist’s vision and method of working that alienates the public.

Arundel Mill and Castle, John Constable, 1837. Although the colors may look conventional today, Constable’s contemporaries found his greens jarringly bright. Because they were used to looking at paintings through a surface dulled by dirt, & discolored varnish, his colors seemed unreal. Reflections on the water became known as “Constable’s Snow.” In order to capture the ever-changing effects of light on the canvas, the artists paint rapidly, analyzing tone and color at the expense of composition and drawing — held sacred by the Academy. The broken brushstrokes, often just “dabs” of paint, and the high key of color, due in part to colored shadows, also provoke criticism. Likewise, they depart from the norm with their uniform “loading” of the paint surface, when it is accepted tradition to paint shadows thinly. They also paint on white, or very lightly tinted gounds, all of which add to brilliance of color and luminosity. Although a few perceptive collectors, sometimes the color merchants who supplied them, are quick to buy their works, many of these artists did suffer financial hardship.

Today, this may seem strange, but many collectors at the time stipulated that commissioned paintings be “toned down” (i.e., given a coat of colored varnish in order to fit with older paintings in their collections.) Constable was criticized for using the greens he saw around him in his landscapes. Bathers at La Grenouillère, Claude Monet, 1869. During the summer of 1869, Monet worked with Renoir at this cafe and bathing place on an island in the Seine. He worked with great rapidity to capture the effects of rippling water and sunlight. The light shining on the river and paler color in the distance lead the eye into the landscape, yet the patterned brushwork in the foreground emphasizes the surface of the canvas. Although a certain group of painters is commonly referred to as “Impressionists,” their aims were not always congruent. Edgar Degas (1834-1917) and some Neo-Impressionists like Georges Seurat (1859-1891) had academic training that they valued (see entry on Pointillism ).

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), after traveling widely — particularly in Italy — reacts against the apparent “formlessness” of Monet. Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), who exhibits with the Impressionists, criticizes their lack of intellectual rigor, or color “order,” as he chooses to structure his landscapes with directional brushstrokes. Moreover, Vincent van Gogh (1822-1885) is shown in museums with the Impressionists, although he is often referred to as a Realist, Expressionist, or Symbolist. But perhaps this mixture of artists is what makes this subject so interesting and challenging. Well: there are still people who criticize, even perhaps dislike, some of these paintings, today. Imagine that you are visiting one of these exhibitions in the late 1800’s: how were the paintings shown? (Look at contemporary paintings of Art Exhibitions or an Art Collector’s home!) How should these paintings be put on display today? Be critical! Blue Water Lilies, Claude Monet, Musee d’Orsay, Paris, 1916-19.

In all of Monet’s paintings, but especially his later works, he draws the eye back to the surface of the painting, often through brushwork independent of form. Artists remind the viewer that they are looking, above all, at a painting; at the artist’s personal vision of an aspect of the real world. Renoir’s The Umbrellas was possibly started in the late 1870s. The left-hand figures compare with Renoir’s work of around 1885, when he renews his commitment to a sense of structure and greater clarity of form. The fashions illustrated confirm these dates. Yet, he does not sacrifice luminosity or brilliance of color - the left-hand girl’s dress is more smoothly painted but made up of a myriad of hues. In any gallery, the Impressionist rooms draw crowds of visitors who respond to the spontaneity and the enjoyment with which Impressionists depicted their world. In some cases, spectators may be misled. For example, Monet’s Bathers at La Grenouillere (1869) has been shown to be a study for a larger painting (now lost), which could well have been painted or finished in his studio.

He had a special studio built adjoining his home in order to paint the last Water Lily series, which incorporate patches of color that seem to shimmer and float in water. Likewise, Renoir’s Umbrellas (Les Parapluies) was clearly painted in two stages, the right-hand side in the late 1870s, and the umbrellas and figures on the left about six years later. Nevertheless, Impressionism left a legacy to future artists. The late 19th century artists studied and embraced scientific research into color and light, which informed the development of photography as an artistic medium. Claude Monet - Wheatstacks (End of Summer), 1897 Haystacks (Series) Wheatstacks (End of Summer), 1897. Oil on canvas, 60 × 100 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, USA Haystacks is a title of a series of impressionist paintings by Claude Monet. The primary subjects of all of the paintings in the series are stacks of hay in the field after the harvest season.

The title refers primarily to a twenty-five canvas series (Wildenstein Index Number 1266-1290) begun in the end of summer of 1890 and continued through the following spring, using that year’s harvest. Some use a broader definition of the title to refer to other paintings by Monet with this same theme. The series is known for its thematic use of repetition to show differences in perception of light across various times of day, seasons, and types of weather. The subjects were painted in fields near Monet’s home in Giverny, France. The series is among Monet’s most notable works. Although the largest collections of Monet’s work is held in Paris at the Musée d’Orsay and Musée Marmottan Monet, other notable Monet collections are in Boston, Massachusetts at the Museum of Fine Arts,New York City at the Metropolitan Museum and Museum of Modern Art, and Tokyo at the National Museum of Western Art, six of the twenty-five haystacks pieces in this series are currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

In addition, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, United States holds two, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France holds one. Other museums that hold parts of this series in their collection include: the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, Connecticut (which also has one of five from the earlier 1888-9 harvest), theNational Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minneapolis,Minnesota, United States, Kunsthaus Zürich in Zürich, Switzerland, and the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Several private collections also hold Haystack paintings. ► Monet background Monet settled in Giverny in 1883. Most of his paintings from 1883 until his death 40 years later were of scenes within 3 kilometres (2 mi) of his home. Indeed, the haystacks themselves were situated just outside his door. He was intensely aware of and fascinated by the visual nuances of the region’s landscape and the variation in the seasons. Monet had already painted the same subject in different moods.

However, as he matured as a painter, his depictions of atmospheric influences were increasingly concerned not only with specific effects, but with overall color harmonies that allowed for an autonomous use of rich color. The conventional wisdom was that the compact, solid haystacks were both a simple subject and an unimaginative one. However, contemporary writers and friends of the artist noted that Monet’s subject matter was always carefully chosen, the product of careful thought and analysis. Monet undertook a study of capturing their vibrance under direct light, and juxtaposing the same subject from the same view in more muted atmospheric conditions. It was not unusual for Monet to alter the canvases back in his studio, in search of harmonious transitions within the series. ► Series background The stacks depicted herein are variously referred to as haystacks and grainstacks. The 15-to-20-foot (4.6 to 6.1 m) stacks emblematized the Normandy region of France by emphasizing the beauty and prosperity of the countryside. The haystacks functioned as storage facilities that preserved the wheat until stalk and chaff could be more efficiently separated.

The Norman method of storing hay was to use hay as a cover to shield ears of wheat from the elements until they could be threshed. The threshing machines traveled from village to village. Thus, although the wheat was harvested in July it often took until March for all the farms to be reached. These stacks became common in the mid 19th century. This method survived for 100 years, until the inception of combine harvesters. Although shapes of stacks were regional, it was common for them to be round in theParis basin and the region of Normandy in which Giverny is situated. Monet noticed this subject on a casual walk. He requested that his stepdaughter Blanche Hoschedé bring him two canvases. He believed that one canvas for overcast weather and one for sunny weather would be sufficient. However, he realized he could not demonstrate the several distinct impressions on one or two canvases. As a result, his willing helper was quickly carting as many canvases as a wheelbarrow could hold. His daily routine involved carting paints, easels, and many unfinished canvases and working on whichever canvas most closely resembled the scene of the moment as conditions fluctuated.

Although he began painting realistic depictions en plein air, he eventually revised initial effects in a studio to both generate contrast and preserve the harmony within the series. Monet produced numerous Haystack paintings. His earlier landscapes (Wildenstein Index Number 900-995, 1073) had included haystacks in an ancillary manner. Monet had also produced five paintings (Wildenstein Index Numbers 1213-1217) with haystacks as the primary subject during the 1888 harvest. The general consensus is that only the canvases produced using the 1890 harvest (Wildenstein Index Number 1266-1290) comprise the haystacks series proper. However, some include several additional paintings when referencing this series. For example, Hill-Stead Museum discusses their two serial haystack or grainstack paintings even though one is from the 1890 harvest and the other is from the 1888 harvest. This series is one of Monet’s earliest that relied on thematic repetition to illustrate nuances in perception across natural variation such as times of day, seasons, and types of weather.

For Monet, the concept of producing and exhibiting a series of paintings related by subject and vantage point began in 1889, with at least ten paintings done at the Valley of the Creuse, and subsequently shown at the Galerie Georges Petit. This interest in the serial motif would continue for the rest of his career. ► Thematic issues Although the mundane subject was constant throughout this series, the underlying theme may be seen as the transience of light. This concept enabled him to use repetition to show nuances of perception as seasons, time of day, and weather changes. The constant subject provided the basis from which comparisons could be made in changes of light across this nuanced series. The first paintings in the series were started in late September or early October 1890, and he continued producing these paintings for about seven months. These paintings made Monet the first painter to paint such a large quantity of pictures of the same subject matter differentiated by light, weather, atmosphere and perspective.

Beginning in the 1880s and 1890s, Monet focused on Haystacks and a number of other subjects (other series included the Mornings on the Seine, Poplars, Rouen Cathedral, theHouses of Parliament, and the Water Lilies, among others). In order to work on many paintings virtually simultaneously, he would awake before dawn so as to begin at the earliest time of day: “…for the Early Mornings on the Seine series, he chose to paint at and before dawn, which made it ‘an easier subject and simpler lighting than usual’, because at this time of day the effects did not change so rapidly; however, this involved him getting up at 3:30 a.m., which seems to have been unprecedented even for so inveterate an early riser as Monet.” As the morning progressed and the light changed he would switch to sequentially later canvas settings, sometimes working on as many as ten or twelve paintings a day, each one depicting a slightly different aspect of light. The process would be repeated over the course of days, weeks, or months, depending on the weather and the progress of the paintings, until they were completed. As the seasons changed the process was renewed.

Certain effects of light only last for a few minutes, thus the canvases documenting such ephemera received attention for no more than a few minutes a day. Further complicating matters, the light of subsequent sunrises, for example, could alter substantially, and would require separate canvases within the series. Subsequently, differenthues are evident in each painting, and in each work color is used to describe not only direct but reflected light. At differing times of day and in various seasons haystacks absorb the light from diverse parts of the color spectrum. As a result, the residual light that is reflected off of the haystacks is seen as ever-changing, and manifests in distinctive coloring. Many notable painters have been influenced by this particular series including Les Fauves, Derain and Vlaminck. Kandinsky’s memoirs refer to the series: “What suddenly became clear to me was the unsuspected power of the palette, which I had not understood before and which surpassed my wildest dreams.” The Haystacks series was a financial success. Fifteen of these were exhibited by Durand-Ruel in May 1891, and every painting sold within days. The exhibit met with great public acclaim.

Octave Mirbeau described Monet’s daring series as representing “what lies beyond progress itself.” Others described the grainstacks as “faces of the landscape,” and viewers seemed to take assurance that the series would help preserve rural traditions despite industrialization and urbanization. They represented the countryside as a retreat from daily problems and home for contentment with nature. Camille Pissarro said “These canvases breathe contentment.” Most of the paintings sold immediately for as much as 1,000 francs. Additionally, Monet’s prices in general began to rise steeply. As a result, he was able to buy outright the house and grounds at Giverny and to start constructing a waterlily pond. After years of mere subsistence living he was able to enjoy success. The series demonstrates his intense study of light and atmospheric conditions and Monet was a perfectionist in his renderings. Monet destroyed more than one series of paintings that he found wanting. However, this series escaped his own harsh self-criticism and destruction.

► 1888-1889 paintings From the 1888 harvest, Monet produced three canvases featuring two stacks each against the backdrop of hills along the left bank of the Seine and a few Giverny houses to the right. Then, he turned to his left to capture two scenes in which the hills are shrouded by a line of poplars. ► External links How Your Kids Can Make Impressionist Art, Monet Photo Project My Kids' Adventures Published June 2, 2014 Do you enjoy observing nature with your kids? Have you noticed how the light at different times of day changes the way we see colors? Make your kids’ “impressions” of the outdoors come to life with a fun and easy art project . In this article I’ll show you how to transform nature photos into Impressionistic works of art with a simple photo transfer technique. Head outside with your kids and take some pictures, Monet-style. Why Make Impressionistic Photo Transfers? Impressionism is a movement in painting that originated in France in the late 1800s. Most Impressionist painters focused on capturing the “impressions” of light and color outdoors.

This project includes the essence of what an Impressionist observes so you can create a fun and easy photo project with your kids, Monet-style. To make your own Impressionistic art, you and your kids get to spend time outdoors at different times of day to observe nature in the light and take pictures of it. It’s a great way to nurture their creativity, look at the world in a whole new way and bring out their inner artists (and yours, too!). Impressionistic paintings are beautiful, but time-consuming, especially since outdoor lighting changes quickly. They are usually created by the artist using strong bold colors and short brushstrokes. Here are some examples of Impressionist paintings. Claude Monet—Haystack, 1865. Camille Pissarro—Orchard in Blossom, Louveciennes, 1872. Mary Cassatt—Lilacs in a Window, 1880. Image source: WikiPaintings. This way is much easier! I’ll show you how to turn your outdoor photos into “impressions” that you can transfer onto paper, like this: Here’s a close-up example of a photo transfer.

The original inspiration for this photo transfer technique can be found here . Fun Facts About Claude Monet Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840. He is one of the most famous painters in the history of art and a leading painter of the Impressionist movement. Oscar-Claude Monet was a founder of French Impressionist painting. Image source: Wikipedia. Monet is most known for his series of paintings depicting the same subject matter during different times of day and in different weather. Monet painted many everyday subjects like haystacks , water lilies , buildings and churches. Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise was described as “impressionistic.” This term was adopted by other artists of the time who painted with a similar technique. Claude Monet—Impression, Sunrise, 1873. Image source: WikiPaintings. Here is an excerpt from Monet’s biography on Biography.com : “Sometimes Monet traveled to find other sources of inspiration. In the early 1890s, he rented a room across from the Rouen Cathedral, in northwestern France, and painted a series of works focused on the structure.

Different paintings showed the building in morning light, midday, gray weather and more; this repetition was a result of Monet’s deep fascination with the effects of light.” This series of paintings is beautifully captured in this video. Can you imagine standing on the banks of the river and watching the sunrise? Do you notice the short brushstrokes and small dabs of brightly colored paint Monet used? How will you use Monet’s style to inspire your artwork? You Will Need Outdoors for photos , ideally your front- or backyard Inside with a computer and printer to complete the project Before you embark on your own Monet photo project, spend some time in your local library and read about Impressionism in art books. Or do research with your kids online . Take a look at the vast collection of Impressionistic artwork on the art movement: Impressionism page of WikiPaintings. #1: Get Inspired! Share the Monet video with your family and talk about the differences among each of his paintings on the same subject. Notice how the colors of the subject changed depending on the time of day and the weather when he painted them. Can you guess what time of day Monet may have painted these views of the same scene by looking at these paintings?

Here is a snapshot of Google image search results for “Monet Rouen.” Ask your kids what they think they’ll observe when you go outside. Explain the difference between seeing things and observing them . Will the light be bright? Is the sun still up? What might you find? You’ll go outside several times to take pictures, so vary the questions each time. Are you ready to observe your surroundings and see the outdoors like an Impressionist? #2: Head Outdoors to Take Photos Grab your camera and go outside. Observe the light and colors around you. Talk about the things you notice. If you have more than one child, be sure to take turns sharing your observations. Parents, take a turn too. How is the light? Is it bright? Is it soft? Do the colors you see appear bold and bright or are they soft and less bright? What’s the first thing that catches your attention when you get outside? Have everyone find something to photograph for this project. You can all take a picture of the same thing or choose different subjects. If you use the same camera (or camera phone), it’ll be easier to keep track if everyone takes pics of something different. Choose something that catches your eye to photograph.

My daughter chose her favorites—roses—as her subject matter. Explain that you will take several photos throughout the day to capture different “impressions“ of the same subject in different light. Take several photos of your subject each time, so that you have plenty of choices later. #3: Head Outside Again and Take More Photos Wait several hours until the light has changed. This might be a fun time to do another art project , if your kids are up for it. Then, head outside again and take another photo of your subject. Do this several times throughout the day to record your subject in different lighting. Ideally, take photos at least three or four different times of day. If you don’t get enough photos the first day, you can always take a few more the next day at a different time. Notice how the lighting changes the colors throughout the day. Spend this time with your kids observing the beauty that’s right outside your door! Take photos over one or two days. We took photos over two days so that we could capture the different light during each time of day. We caught our rosebud opening too. Grab a pen and paper and note each time you go out. That way, you can track the time you take each photo.

#4: Make a Digital Photo Collage Once you’re satisfied that you have enough photos, make a photo collage. Download your photos so they are easily accessible on your computer. Then decide which ones you want to use. We used PicMonkey to make our photo collage. One of the easiest ways to quickly edit or collage photos is to use PicMonkey.com . Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to use PicMonkey to create your photo collage. How to Use PicMonkey Go to PicMonkey.com to start your collage. Note: You don’t need to create an account to use this website. Go to PicMonkey.com and click on Collage. Click on Collage, and you’ll be prompted to select the photos from your computer that you would like to collage. Choose the Collage button you see by the yellow arrow. Next, you’ll be prompted to choose the composition you would like for your photos. Set your resolution at the bottom of the screen to 3000 x 2400 for an 8″ x 10″ photo presentation. Find all print size information here . Choose the composition for your project. We chose “Square Deal.” Then select print size. Place your photos in the composition.

Place your photos in your composition. Once you’re happy with the order, click Edit on the top menu bar. This will open your photo in the image editor. To transfer the photo how you see it, we need to print its mirror image. Click on the icon of crop marks and you can select Rotate. Reverse your image and SAVE! I’ve indicated the mirror image icon with the yellow arrow. Once you rotate the image, click Save. Name your file and save to your computer. Once you save the reversed image, you can move on to the next step. #5: Print Your Collage Print your collage on a transparency sheet using your inkjet printer. The transparency sheet will NOT absorb the ink* and the sheet will be very WET when it’s finished printing. *Please note this is reason you need copier transparency sheets and not inkjet transparency sheets. Load the transparency sheet into the printer tray. Have your art paper ready for the next step. Check your printer settings. I found that it works best to use the Normal setting for plain paper. You may need to try different settings for your printer to find the best results.

Since the inkjet printer shoots tiny droplets of ink onto the transparency sheet, this will mimic the small dabs of paint like an impressionist. Sound good? Now, print your photo! The print will be VERY WET! Note: Adult supervision is REQUIRED to handle the transparency print to avoid smears and smudges. Carefully retrieve the transparency from the printer. Handle the print very carefully as the wet ink can smudge easily. #6: Transfer Your Print to Paper Carefully place your transparency with the wet ink side down onto your white paper. Carefully lay the transparency on top of the paper. Carefully hold or tape the transparency sheet down to the sheet of paper. Use your hand to smooth the transparency sheet on the paper to begin the ink transfer. Do not move or wiggle the transparency sheet. Take the back of a spoon and gently rub the transparency to transfer as much ink as possible. Move the spoon over the image in several different directions with smooth firm pressure to help the ink transfer evenly. Carefully transfer the ink to the paper by rubbing the transparency with the flat side of a spoon. When you think it’s done, carefully lift one corner of your transparency to see if the ink has transferred enough.

Remember, the ink will not transfer completely. The goal is that you have an “impression” of your photo on the paper, not a perfect photo transfer. When you have transferred as much ink as possible, lift your transparency sheet from the paper. Your finished photo transfer. Voilà! You’ve captured your “impressions” on paper! Take a moment to observe the print and discuss what you see. See how the tiny droplets of ink have transferred to the paper? These tiny droplets up close might look blurry and messy. However, when you step away and look from a little distance, you can see your subject emerge from your impressions! What do you notice? Can you see how different the colors are in each photo of the same subject? What time of day do you see the brightest colors? What time of day are the colors less bright? Which photo does your child like the best? Why? Which one do you like the best? All artists should sign and date their prints . That way, everyone will remember the wonderful time you created this one-of-a-kind piece of art! Some Final Thoughts… Bringing photos to life in a Monet-inspired style is an excellent way to make an impression! Hopefully you’ll view nature in a different way.

You may even want to try this project again, perhaps in a different season. Time with your kids enjoying nature and appreciating the beauty around you is always time well-spent. When you make the extra effort to capture that beauty with a piece of art, you create a reminder of a memory that will last a lifetime. What do you think? Did you enjoy this mini art history lesson on Impressionism? Will you look at things differently next time you go outside? I’d love to hear your thoughts and see the artwork from your Monet photo project. Please share it below. About the Author, Crystal Foth Crystal Foth is a mom and artist based in Los Angeles, CA. She manages 19 Southern California art studios and spends her free time enjoying creative adventures with her daughter. Other posts by Crystal Foth » Jennifer Ballard Thanks, Crystal! What a great way to hone kids’ observation skills–have them compare how something looks at different times of day. Thanks for the art lesson! Crystal Foth Thanks Jennifer – Monet is one of our favorite artists! I love taking our observations and making artful memories. We had a great time making them! KJ Ammerman Love your article, Crystal!

I love that you’re sharing how to do photo transfers and learning about classic art at the same time! -Kristin Crystal Foth Thanks KJ! I loved taking the classical approach behind choosing our subject matter and making creative observations and then “painting” with our inkjet printer! Old world meets new world! Crystal Foth @jenniferballard:disqus @KJAmmerman:disqus Check out this print I made using this technique with two of my favorite landscape photos I took at different times of day! Lola Reed Such a great idea- and a great way to introduce your kids to Impresssionist Art. We’ll be doing this project and then going to see Monet in London- can’t wait to see what Hamish will make of it having had a chance to do it himself. Here’s a photo from our garden that I’m going to ‘Impressionize’ Crystal Foth Hi Lola! I love following this project up with a museum trip to see a real Monet! I can’t wait to see the results. This was such a fun project. Be sure to post your print so we can see it! Thank you for comment!

Jennifer Ballard Interpretive Resource | The Art Institute of Chicago Interpretive Resource Introduction: Monet's Stacks of Wheat Series An introduction to Monet's Stacks of Wheat paintings and an explanation of the artist's objectives in creating a series. Book: Post-Impressionism Brettell, Richard. Post-Impressionists. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago and New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1987, p. 35. MONET’S HAYSTACKS On May 4, 1891, an exhibition of recent works by Claude Monet opened at the Durand-Ruel gallery in Paris, including a Series of Haystacks (1890-1891) as the pictures were identified in the catalogue. These paintings were an important breakthrough, not only in Monet’s career but in the history of French art. Curiously, their novelty was less the result of their style than of their subject matter, and less because the subject was in itself unusual than because each of the fifteen paintings had the same subject, and were intended to be seen together.

It seems amazing that, in 1891, these images of mundane haystacks, with their various seasonal and temporal backgrounds and their scumbled, almost corrugated, facture, were explained by the critics in such evocative, poetic prose. The subject of the paintings was essentially ignored in the various attempts to render into words Monet’s pictorial transcriptions of time. For Gustave Geffroy, they represented "the poetry of the universe in the small space of a field.., a synthetic summary of the meteors and the elements." And, for Desire Louis, the viewer was "in the presence of sensations of place and of time in the harmonious and melancholic flow of sunsets, ends of day, and gentle dawns." Monet’s Haystacks could now be seen by his contemporaries as fundamentally anti-naturalist: they were about time and color rather than about the way natural form and light interact. The Haystacks were evocations of nature, a series of works unified by an overall surface and a decorative, thematic harmony.

For Monet, the Haystack series provided an opportunity to combine a basic doctrine of Impressionism — capturing what he called "instantaneous" moments in nature’s temporal cycles — with the modem notions of painting that sought to extract from and reconstruct nature according to the formal and expressive potential of the picture itself. Monet’s style and subject matter had changed drastically from his early Impressionist days. After moving to rural Giverny in 1883, he began to evolve a landscape imagery that was fundamentally romantic, with picturesque scenes and few, if any, human figures. Unlike the traditional Romantic landscape painters, who tended to paint large, all-encompassing vistas, Monet isolated specific elements of nature for their potential as carriers of various moods or human feelings and not as narrative devices. For Monet, the haystack was a form full of resonance. Its association of abundance and of man’s ability to sustain himself and his animals on the richness of the harvest are obvious and compelling. Surely, Monet, who lived for many years in rural settings, knew the importance of the haystack to his neighbors and, by making them the clear motif in his scenes, allowed their meanings to unfold in a complex succession.

Clearly, it had become impossible for the great landscape painter to compress his many simultaneous sensations and feelings onto a single canvas: he had to work in series in order to convey more clearly and completely the nature of his struggle to master the representation of time. He worked furiously in the last days of spring 1891 to bring a group of fifteen independent canvases into collective harmony. In the end, he succeeded in making something unique — a series of separate paintings that are at once dependent and independent. The individual paintings succeed on certain levels as works of art. However; it is only in creating groups of the pictures that the complexity of Monet’s intentions can be understood. Tags:

Question: Which Impressionist artist painted a series of pictures in the 1890's, depicting haystacks?
Answer: CLAUDE MONET