Impressionism Art - Painting

The Impressionistic period refers to an artistic style which originated in 19th century France. Characterized by deliberately perceivable brush strokes and an evolved representation of light and ambient lighting effects, impressionism offered a fresh contrast to the more formal, highly stylized artistic styles that preceded it. Concentrating on commonplace, everyday subjects instead of religious, historical, and literary topics, impressionism captured the interest and support of many art enthusiasts in an age when public attention turned to the comforts and securities of pedestrian existence while the world seemed to erupt in turmoil.

Among the many masters of impressionistic art are Claude Monet, whose work "Impression, Sunrise" actually lent it's name to the new style. Edgar Degas, an impressionist master whose works included "Absinthe" and "The Rape," still painted formally enough to tell potent stories with his art, but left the overall impressionistic feel of the paintings untouched. The famous scenes from the French cabaret "Moulin Rouge" were painted by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in a post-impressionistic style, which essentially expanded impressionism with fewer artistic boundaries and a more liberal use of vivid colors.

Impressionistic elements can still be found in wide use today, mostly in contemporary art and film. Degas's ability to tell a story with a single image was also used in recent times by Alfred Hitchcock and his cinematographic disciples. Modern painters like Gustav Klimt have also captured an impressionistic feel with their work. Impressionism effectively spawned many contemporary art forms and is likely to persist long into the future.