Impressionist artists and their paintings. How does Russian impressionism in painting differ from French?

Impressionist exhibition

First of all, I visited the exhibition for the third time in the wonderful Kiev Art Mall. I have already written about the miraculous technologies for displaying exhibitions on this site. I won’t repeat myself, I’ll just say that this time everything was great, there was no disappointment :). This latest exhibition featured paintings by all the leading masters of this artistic movement. If anyone doesn’t know, just in case, I’ll give a list of these same Impressionist masters:

Edouard Manet. Although the artist himself constantly strived for official recognition, it was his infamous painting “Breakfast on the Grass” that became a real symbol of the Salon of the Rejected.
Berthe Morisot. One of the few (I'm afraid to say that the only) female impressionist. In 2013, the painting “After Dinner” was sold at Sotheby’s for $10.9 million. This event made Morisot the most expensive artist.
Camille Pissarro. I love his images of Parisian boulevards. The Montmartre Boulevard series is considered one of the generally accepted symbols of impressionism.
Claude Monet. Probably the most famous representative of the movement. In any case, it was his painting “Impression. Sunrise” at one time gave its name to the entire artistic movement.
Edgar Degas. Here I would like to voice a slightly funny and exaggerated saying of the modern bohemian party: if there are a lot of little people, this is Bosch, if fat ballerinas are Degas :)
Pierre Renoir. My favorite impressionist. And no more comments.
Toulouse de Lautrec. Singer of entertainment and everyday life of Parisian bohemia and the “bottom”. Cabaret, brothels- his topic.
Henri Cross. I was surprised to discover that I heard this name for the first time at the exhibition!
Paul Signac. His lovely landscapes of bright, pure colors gave birth to a new movement of neo-impressionism - pointillism.
Paul Cezanne. The main association I have with him is still lifes and a dislike for human models, and this is connected with my favorite funny situation.
Paul Gauguin. One of the titans of post-impressionism. Almost complete lack of recognition during life and records for the sale of paintings after death.
Vincent Van Gogh. Another star with an incredibly difficult creative and life destiny. And deafening glory after death...

These are all titans. You can look at their paintings (reproductions) for hours, which is what I did at the Kyiv exhibition. My photos don't represent anything artistic value, you will be able to find much better samples. But I’ll still post a couple of fragments from the exhibition:

Impressionist museums

As I already said, impressionism accompanies my entire adult life. Even on some resources, I impudently assign myself the nickname impressionism, thereby hinting not at my involvement, but at my special reverent attitude. That’s why I was wondering where you can see non-reproductions. and the originals? Mine personal experience quite small: while still a student I visited the glorious city of St. Petersburg and Hermitage. In the Hermitage I didn’t even try to grasp the immensity, but immediately found in which halls you can look at impressionist paintings. The meeting is quite big! I’ll just mention a few of my favorite paintings:

Camille Pissarro. “Boulevard Montmartre in Paris” 1897

Paul Signac “Harbor in Marseille”. 1906-1907

Painting by Claude Monet “Waterloo Bridge. (Fog effect)"

Paul Gauguin. “Woman holding a fruit.” 1893

Auguste Renoir. “Girl with a fan.” 1881

Auguste Renoir. “Portrait of the actress Jeanne Samary.” 1878

But in addition to my own information, I also have the impressions of my friends. They, infected with feelings for the Impressionists no less than I, visited Paris twice. And twice a mandatory part of their program was visits to museums that have collections of paintings from this direction. Key points of this Parisian cultural expedition are:

Orangerie Museum– the richest collection of impressionists and post-impressionists. The most famous painting is C. Monet’s “Water Lilies”. It was only from friends that I learned that this painting, it turns out, was painted by the artist right on the wall of the museum and completely occupies a separate room of the gallery.
Orsay Museum is not considered specialized only in the works of the Impressionists, presented here various directions European painting and sculptures. But almost all of the masters who were included in the list that I posted above are exhibited in Orsay. What is worth at least one famous “Olympia” by Edouard Manet!
Marmottan-Monet Museum has in its collection more than 300 impressionist paintings. Highlight: the iconic painting by Claude Monet “Impression. Sunrise". Yes, yes, exactly that one. Friends say that seeing her live is an enchanting feeling. I really envy them...

Claude Monet. Impression. Rising Sun

One of the largest movements in art of the last decades of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth is impressionism, which spread throughout the world from France. Its representatives were engaged in the development of such methods and techniques of painting that would make it possible to most vividly and naturally reflect real world in dynamics, to convey fleeting impressions of him.

Many artists created their canvases in the style of impressionism, but the founders of the movement were Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, Frederic Basil, Camille Pissarro. It is impossible to name their best works, since they are all beautiful, but there are the most famous ones, and they will be discussed further.

Claude Monet: “Impression. Rising Sun"

The canvas with which you should start a conversation about the best paintings of the Impressionists. Claude Monet painted it in 1872 from life in the old port of Le Havre, France. Two years later, the painting was first shown to the public in the former studio of the French artist and caricaturist Nadar. This exhibition became fateful for the art world. Impressed (not at all) in the best sense) by Monet, whose title in the original language sounds like “Impression, soleil levant,” journalist Louis Leroy first coined the term “impressionism,” denoting a new direction in painting.

The painting was stolen in 1985 along with works by O. Renoir and B. Morisot. It was discovered five years later. Currently “Impression. The Rising Sun" belongs to the Marmottan-Monet Museum in Paris.

Edouard Monet: "Olympia"

The painting "Olympia", created by the French impressionist Edouard Manet in 1863, is one of the masterpieces of modern painting. It was first presented at the Paris Salon in 1865. Impressionist artists and their paintings often found themselves in the center high-profile scandals. However, Olympia caused the largest of them in the history of art.

On the canvas we see a naked woman, her face and body facing the audience. The second character is a dark-skinned maid holding a luxurious bouquet wrapped in paper. At the foot of the bed there is a black kitten in a characteristic pose with an arched back. Not much is known about the history of the painting; only two sketches have reached us. The model was most likely Manet's favorite model, Quiz Meunard. There is an opinion that the artist used the image of Marguerite Bellanger, Napoleon's mistress.

During the period of creativity when Olympia was created, Manet was fascinated Japanese art, and therefore deliberately refused to work out the nuances of dark and light. Because of this, his contemporaries did not see the volume of the depicted figure and considered it flat and rough. The artist was accused of immorality and vulgarity. Never before have Impressionist paintings caused such excitement and mockery from the crowd. The administration was forced to place guards around her. Degas compared Manet's fame gained through Olympia and the courage with which he accepted criticism with the life story of Garibaldi.

For almost a quarter of a century after the exhibition, the canvas was kept out of reach of prying eyes by the artist’s studio. Then it was exhibited again in Paris in 1889. It was almost bought, but the artist’s friends collected the required amount and bought “Olympia” from Manet’s widow, and then donated it to the state. Now the painting belongs to the Orsay Museum in Paris.

Auguste Renoir: "Great Bathers"

The picture is painted French artist in 1884-1887 Taking into account all the currently known Impressionist paintings between 1863 and the beginning of the twentieth century, "Great Bathers" is called the largest painting of nudes. female figures. Renoir worked on it for more than three years, and during this period many sketches and sketches were created. There was no other painting in his work that he devoted so much time to.

On foreground the viewer sees three naked women, two of whom are on the shore, and the third is standing in the water. The figures are painted very realistically and clearly, which is characteristic feature artist's style. Renoir's models were Alina Charigo (his future wife) and Suzanne Valadon, who in the future herself became a famous artist.

Edgar Degas: "Blue Dancers"

Not all famous Impressionist paintings listed in the article were painted in oil on canvas. The photo above allows you to understand what the painting “Blue Dancers” represents. It was made in pastels on a paper sheet measuring 65x65 cm and belongs to late period creativity of the artist (1897). He painted it with already impaired vision, so paramount importance is attached to decorative organization: the image is perceived as large spots of color, especially when viewed close up. The theme of dancers was close to Degas. It was repeated many times in his work. Many critics believe that due to the harmony of color and composition, The Blue Dancers can be considered best job artist on this topic. Currently, the painting is kept in the Museum of Art. A. S. Pushkin in Moscow.

Frédéric Bazille: "Pink Dress"

One of the founders French impressionism Frédéric Bazille was born into a bourgeois family of a wealthy winemaker. While still studying at the Lyceum, he began to become interested in painting. Having moved to Paris, he made acquaintance with C. Monet and O. Renoir. Unfortunately, the artist was destined for a short life path. He died at the age of 28 at the front during Franco-Prussian War. However, his paintings, albeit few in number, are rightfully included in the list of “ Best paintings impressionists". One of them is “Pink Dress,” painted in 1864. By all indications, the canvas can be attributed to early impressionism: color contrasts, attention to color, sunlight and a frozen moment, the very thing that was called “impression.” One of the artist’s cousins, Teresa de Hors, acted as a model. The painting currently belongs to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Camille Pissarro: “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny"

Camille Pissarro became famous thanks to his landscapes, characteristic feature which is the drawing of light and illuminated objects. His works had a significant influence on the genre of impressionism. The artist independently developed many of his inherent principles, which formed the basis for his future creativity.

Pissarro loved to write the same passage in different time days. He has a whole series of canvases with Parisian boulevards and streets. The most famous of them is “Boulevard Montmartre” (1897). It reflects all the charm that the artist sees in the seething and restless life of this corner of Paris. Viewing the boulevard from the same place, he shows it to the viewer on a sunny and cloudy day, in the morning, afternoon and late evening. The photo below shows the painting “Montmartre Boulevard at Night”.

This style was subsequently adopted by many artists. We will only mention which Impressionist paintings were written under the influence of Pissarro. This trend is clearly visible in Monet’s work (the “Haystacks” series of paintings).

Alfred Sisley: "Lawns in Spring"

“Lawns in Spring” is one of the latest paintings by landscape painter Alfred Sisley, painted in 1880-1881. In it, the viewer sees a forest path along the banks of the Seine with a village on the opposite bank. In the foreground is a girl - the artist's daughter Jeanne Sisley.

The artist’s landscapes convey a genuine atmosphere historical region Ile-de-France and retain the special softness and transparency of natural phenomena characteristic of specific seasons. The artist was never a supporter of unusual effects and adhered to a simple composition and a limited palette of colors. Nowadays the painting is kept in National Gallery London.

We have listed the most famous Impressionist paintings (with names and descriptions). These are masterpieces of world painting. The unique style of painting, which originated in France, was initially perceived with ridicule and irony; critics emphasized the outright carelessness of the artists in painting their canvases. Now hardly anyone dares to challenge their genius. Impressionist paintings are exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world and are a coveted exhibit for any private collection.

The style has not sunk into oblivion and has many followers. Our compatriot Andrei Kokh, French painter Laurent Parselier, Americans Diana Leonard and Karen Tarleton are famous contemporary impressionists. Their paintings were made in best traditions genre, filled with bright colors, bold strokes and life. In the photo above is the work of Laurent Parselier “In the Rays of the Sun”.

Bold strokes, bright colors, everyday scenes life, candid poses and, most importantly, an accurate description of the light... Just a small fraction of the characteristics of one of the most popular artistic movements. Impressionism appeared in France in the mid-19th century. Before its emergence, authors usually created still lifes, portraits and even landscapes in their studios. The first impressionists broke traditional canons and literally went out into the fields - they began to create in the open air, capturing realistic scenes of contemporary life. Although Impressionism was initially heavily criticized, it soon led to a similar movement in music and literature. We invite you to admire the most famous paintings of this revolutionary movement in art.

Bar at the Folies Bergere, Edouard Manet, 1882

Manet's last major work and simply greatest work art. The canvas depicts the famous cabaret of Paris, which the artist himself often visited. To convey the atmosphere of the period and make the scene more complex, he depicted a mirror in the background, which reflects the huge number of people filling the room. Opposite the crowd and the viewer, in contrast, behind the counter stands a lonely barmaid, absorbed in her own thoughts. One of the researchers of Manet’s work notes that the oranges in the painting are direct evidence that we're talking about about a prostitute. The date and signature of Manet himself is displayed on the label of one of the bottles, which is in the lower left corner.

Professionals call Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies” series nothing more than “ Sistine Chapel impressionism". The cycle consists of approximately 250 paintings that were created by the artist during the last thirty years of his life on the site of his house in Giverny. Today they are exhibited in museums around the world. It is amazing that Monet wrote most of them when he suffered from cataracts and lost his left lens.

Ball at the Moulin de la Galette, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1876

The famous masterpiece of impressionism is often characterized by art historians as “the most beautiful artistic canvas of the 19th century.” The painting depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at the Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre. Under open air Renoir painted a dance floor and a cafe near his home - the artist liked to watch happy, graceful couples. For him it was an ideal environment for creativity. “Ball at the Moulin de la Galette” is a skillful group portrait, still life and landscape at the same time. In addition, this is Renoir’s most ambitious work: never before had the artist depicted aspects Everyday life on a canvas of this scale - 131x175 cm. The smaller version of the painting is among the ten most expensive works of art sold.

Impression. Rising Sun, Claude Monet, 1872

An iconic painting that gave its name to the entire artistic movement (from the French impression - “impression”) and became its quintessence. Initially, the canvas created by Monet in the port of Le Havre was torn to smithereens by critics, and the term “impressionism” arose in a satirical review by journalist Louis Leroy, who wrote: “Wallpaper, even those would have looked finished, not like this “Impression”!” Interesting detail: If you make a black and white copy of this piece, the sun will disappear almost completely.

Luncheon on the Grass, Edouard Manet, 1862-1863

The scene, depicting a naked woman having lunch with two fully clothed men, was initially considered an insult - the artist was accused of decadence and bad taste. The film was not allowed to participate in the Paris Salon. It was truly a bold statement in favor of the artist's personal freedom.

Parisian street on a rainy day, Gustave Caillebotte, 1877

It is considered one of the most celebrated works about city life in the 19th century. The painting depicts Dublin Square near its intersection with Moscow Street near the Paris Saint-Lazare train station. The lantern pole and the horizon line seem to divide the picture into four quadrants. All the people here are moving in different directions, as if emphasizing their impersonality, isolation, loneliness in a developing city. In addition, Caillebotte masterfully conveys the feeling of rain with the help of lighting and the absence of strong shadows on the street.

Luncheon of the Rowers, Pierre Auguste Renoir

Luncheon of the Rowers, Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1880-1881

Romanticized portrait of Renoir's friends enjoying an evening on a balcony along the Seine River. Among the people in the picture you can see future wife author (model Alina Sharigo - lady with a dog), and another famous impressionist - Gustave Caillebotte (on the right in a straw hat). The painting represents the changing nature of French society at the end of the 19th century as a result of the Industrial Revolution.

Pont Boieldieu in Rouen on a rainy day, Camille Pizarro, 1896

This famous painting Degas is an artistic representation of social isolation in Paris during a period of rapid growth. The painting depicts a woman who indifferently looks at the glass of absinthe in front of her, and clearly not the first. Next to her sits a man who looks like an alcoholic. In fact, the roles of the “humiliated and insulted” characters were played by the artist Marcelin Deboutin and the actress Ellen Andre. At first, critics were shocked by the atmosphere of degradation and decadence that reigned on the canvas. And some saw this as a warning against excessive alcohol consumption.

Parquet workers, Gustave Caillebotte, 1875

One of the first paintings depicting the urban working class. Caillebotte illustrates an abiding interest in everyday life. Notice how accurately the artist captured the light coming through the window and the shadows. The painting is as realistic as a photograph, but nevertheless was rejected by the most prestigious art exhibitions and salons: depictions of half-naked working-class men were considered "vulgar subject matter".

Impressionism (impressionnisme) is a style of painting that appeared at the end of the 19th century in France and then spread throughout the world. The very idea of impressionism lies in its name: impression - impression. Artists who were tired of traditional academic painting techniques, which, in their opinion, did not convey all the beauty and liveliness of the world, began to use completely new techniques and methods of depiction, which were supposed to be the most accessible form to express not a “photographic” view, but precisely the impression of what he saw. In his painting, the impressionist artist, using the nature of his strokes and color palette, tries to convey the atmosphere, warmth or cold, strong wind or peaceful silence, a foggy rainy morning or a bright sunny afternoon, as well as his personal experiences from what he saw.

Impressionism is a world of feelings, emotions and fleeting impressions. What is valued here is not external realism or naturalness, but rather the realism of the expressed sensations, the internal state of the picture, its atmosphere, and depth. Initially, this style was subject to strong criticism. The first Impressionist paintings were exhibited at the Parisian “Salon of Les Misérables,” where works by artists rejected by the official Paris Salon of Arts were exhibited. The term “impressionism” was first used by critic Louis Leroy, who wrote a disparaging review in the magazine “Le Charivari” about an exhibition of artists. As the basis for the term, he took Claude Monet’s painting “Impression. Rising Sun". He called all the artists impressionists, which can be roughly translated as “impressionists.” At first, the paintings were indeed criticized, but soon more and more fans of the new art direction began to come to the salon, and the genre itself turned from a rejected one to a recognized one.

It is worth noting that the artists late XIX centuries in France they did not come up with a new style out of nowhere. They took as a basis the techniques of painters of the past, including artists of the Renaissance. Painters such as El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Rubens, Turner and others, long before the emergence of impressionism, tried to convey the mood of a picture, the liveliness of nature, the special expressiveness of the weather with the help of various intermediate tones, bright or, on the contrary, dull strokes that looked like abstract things. They used it quite sparingly in their paintings, so unusual technique did not catch the viewer's eye. The Impressionists decided to take these image methods as the basis for their works.

One more specific feature The works of the impressionists are a kind of superficial everydayness, which, however, contains incredible depth. They do not try to express any deep philosophical themes, mythological or religious problems, historical and important events. The paintings of artists of this movement are essentially simple and everyday - landscapes, still lifes, people walking down the street or doing their own thing. business as usual and so on. It is precisely such moments, where there is no excessive thematic content that distracts a person, that feelings and emotions from what they see come to the fore. Also, the impressionists, at least at the beginning of their existence, did not depict “heavy” themes - poverty, wars, tragedies, suffering, and so on. Impressionist paintings are most often the most positive and joyful works, where there is a lot of light, bright colors, smoothed chiaroscuro, smooth contrasts. Impressionism is a pleasant impression, joy from life, the beauty of every moment, pleasure, purity, sincerity.

The most famous impressionists were such great artists as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro and many others.

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Alfred Sisley - Lawns in Spring

Camille Pissarro - Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny.

Impressionism is a movement in painting that originated in France in XIX-XX centuries, which is an artistic attempt to capture some moment of life in all its variability and mobility. Impressionist paintings are like a well-washed photograph, reviving in fantasy the continuation of the story seen. In this article we will look at the 10 most famous impressionists peace. Fortunately, talented artists much more than ten, twenty or even a hundred, so let's focus on those names that you definitely need to know.

In order not to offend either the artists or their admirers, the list is given in Russian alphabetical order.

1. Alfred Sisley

This French painter English origin considered the most famous landscape painter second half of the 19th century century. His collection contains more than 900 paintings, of which the most famous are “Rural Alley”, “Frost in Louveciennes”, “Bridge in Argenteuil”, “Early Snow in Louveciennes”, “Lawns in Spring”, and many others.

2. Van Gogh

Known around the world sad story about his ear (by the way, he did not cut off his entire ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gon became popular only after his death. And during his life he was able to sell one single painting, 4 months before his death. They say he was both an entrepreneur and a priest, but he often found himself in psychiatric hospitals due to depression, so all the rebelliousness of his existence resulted in legendary works.

3. Camille Pissarro

Pissarro was born on the island of St. Thomas, into a family of bourgeois Jews, and was one of the few impressionists whose parents encouraged his passion and soon sent him to Paris to study. Most of all, the artist liked nature, he depicted it in all colors, and to be more precise, Pissarro had a special talent for choosing the softness of colors, compatibility, after which air seemed to appear in the paintings.

4. Claude Monet

Since childhood, the boy decided that he would become an artist, despite family prohibitions. Having moved to Paris on his own, Claude Monet plunged into gray everyday life hard life: two years of service in the armed forces in Algeria, litigation with creditors due to poverty, illness. However, one gets the feeling that the difficulties did not oppress, but, on the contrary, inspired the artist to create such bright pictures, like “Impression, Sunrise”, “Houses of Parliament in London”, “Bridge to Europe”, “Autumn in Argenteuil”, “On the Shores of Trouville”, and many others.

5. Konstantin Korovin

It's nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, we can proudly place our compatriot, Konstantin Korovin. passionate love to nature helped him intuitively give unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the connection suitable colors, width of strokes, choice of theme. It is impossible to pass by his paintings “Pier in Gurzuf”, “Fish, Wine and Fruit”, “ Autumn landscape», « Moonlight night. Winter" and a series of his works dedicated to Paris.

6. Paul Gauguin

Until the age of 26, Paul Gauguin did not even think about painting. He was an entrepreneur and had a large family. However, when I first saw the paintings of Camille Pissarro, I decided that I would definitely start painting. Over time, the artist’s style changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are “Garden in the Snow”, “At the Cliff”, “On the Beach in Dieppe”, “Nude”, “Palm Trees in Martinique” and others.

7. Paul Cezanne

Cezanne, unlike most of his colleagues, became famous during his lifetime. He managed to organize his own exhibition and earn considerable income from it. People knew a lot about his paintings - he, like no one else, learned to combine the play of light and shadow, placed a loud emphasis on right and wrong geometric shapes, the severity of the themes of his paintings was in harmony with romance.

8. Pierre Auguste Renoir

Until the age of 20, Renoir worked as a fan decorator for his older brother, and only then moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the path of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of sentimental portraits, among his most outstanding works are “On the Terrace”, “A Walk”, “Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary”, “The Lodge”, “Alfred Sisley and His Wife”, “On the Swing”, “The Paddling Pool” and a lot others.

9. Edgar Degas

If you haven't heard of Blue Dancers, Ballet Rehearsal, Ballet school" and "Absinthe" - hurry up to learn about the work of Edgar Degas. The selection of original colors, unique themes for paintings, a sense of movement of the picture - all this and much more made Degas one of the most famous artists peace.

10. Edouard Manet

Don't confuse Manet with Monet - they are two different people, who worked at the same time and in the same artistic direction. Manet was always attracted to scenes of everyday life, unusual appearances and types, as if accidentally “caught” moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among famous paintings Manet: “Olympia”, “Luncheon on the Grass”, “Bar at the Folies Bergere”, “The Flutist”, “Nana” and others.

If you have even the slightest opportunity to see the paintings of these masters live, you will forever fall in love with impressionism!

Alexandra Skripkina,