Impressionism: The Movement That Transformed Western Art

by Veronique Bouruet Aubortot

A comprehensive, accessible, and richly illustrated guide to impressionism—the perennially popular artistic movement that led to the radical renewal of Western art.

Monet, Renoir, Degas, Rodin, Cezanne, Van Gogh, and the other Impressionist artists burst onto the art scene in the second half of the nineteenth century, creating shock waves with their rebellious rejection of the academy’s strict rules dictating subject matter, style, and even color. Their art, labeled impressionism, coincided with the Industrial Revolution, when the world was suddenly jettisoned into modernity. The young artists who gave rise to the movement confronted public disdain and oppression in Europe, but were applauded overseas for their radically contemporary aesthetic.

This complete and accessible guide renews and refreshes conventional views on impressionism by placing this seminal moment in art in its historical context. Emblematic masterpieces are examined with a focus on each detail, allowing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the artworks. Biographies of all the major artists of the movement provide insight about their life and significant works, and period photographs illustrate this incredibly rich and exciting time in art history. Organized thematically, the guide includes chapters on photography, fashion, female impressionists, exhibitions, galleries and dealers, writers, the movement’s influence on later artists, and recurrent impressionist themes including leisure activities, the garden, the city, and industry. Replete with illustrations and numerous firsthand accounts and quotations, this book recounts a story of emancipation.

Genres: Art, Art History, Nonfiction, History

368 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[Lewis Woolston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this at my local library. For some reason my local library has a really good arts section, i don't know why.
Short on text but heavy on pictures this covers the impressionist movement very well. If you are interested in art but don't know one "ism" from another this is a good place to start.
I enjoyed it.

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ran into this book in the library after I've been studying impressionism in painting classes over the last few months. This book is a gem. It has lots of gorgeous photographs of the works of the impressionists, but the book is a relatively small format for an art book and its point is not to showcase the artwork, like a catalogue. It is a very accessible overview of the world of the impressionists, from their influences, themes, the context of the world around them, to their shared challenges and successes. The book is not organized chronologically or written in academic tone - each chapter goes over a particular topic (e.g. depicting the mundane, rejecting/being rejected by the artistic establishment of the time, etc.), and looks at all the different players from that point of view, with very approachable language. As you immerse yourself in the world of the impressionists, topic by topic, something magical starts to happen - by showing works of Renoir in Monet's gardens, or side by side paintings of Sisley and Monet, the book starts reading like a family and friends album, like an intimate look at the lives of a group of rebellious artists, the people that believed in them and the legacy they left behind, not just in terms of their influence and longevity in the public eye after their death, but the marks they left within that tight group. That after all the squabbles, Monet and Morrisot honored Degas in his funeral. That Camille's death left not only a hole Monet's life, but on his friends and frequent visitors, Manet and Renoir. That Caillebotte generously supported his friends during his life, including amassing a large collection of their work, a portion of which he succeeded in donating to the state so they would be present in museums today.
Each chapter, there is an in-depth look at a painting, with an analysis of the elements in them and what makes it stand out. These in-depth look cover a decent variety of works, from Manet's scandalous Olympia, to Bazille's bathers and Monet's second depiction of a woman with a parasol.
Fascinating read.

[Maurice Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book in the shop of Musee d’Orsay which came to be my favourite museum in Paris. Easy accessible and perfect introduction into the Impressionists. Also helpful in reconstruction of relationships between the famous artists that set the foundation for Modern Art. The book does not read from A to Z but is built up in sections of just a few pages. Also the artists’ section gives nice insights i. The lives and whereabouts of the artists. Everybody knows Monet and Cézanne but I discovered some very interesting new artists by reading the book. I am still reading it from time to time because of the many beautiful and large colourful illustrations.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book full of wonderful background information on the history of the Impressionist movement, with biographical details on the major artists and samples of their work. I’m fairly certain that a larger coffee-table book would do more justice to the artwork, particularly after having seen a few of the originals at the Art Institute of Chicago. However, this seems like the perfect size for perusing at one’s favorite coffee shop.