Impressionist Paintings

The impressionist school of painting came into being in the 19th century, making a major movement away from the staid, formal, representative paintings of the time.. The new impressionist paintings, created by a group of French artists, used bright, strong color to create their impressionist paintings intending to catch a moment in time rather than a static representation of a scene. Their revolutionary work so startled the current masters in Europe that they denounced the new impressionist paintings and refused to permit the artists to exhibit those impressionist paintings with the current works of conventional artists.

Among the leaders of the impressionist movement were Monet and Cezanne, whose impressionist paintings startled conventional artists and viewers. Monet's landscapes, including his famous snowscape with a bird are typical of the impressionistic school. Cezanne's still life impressionist paintings were unlike anything heretofore seen. He was the first artist presumably who introduced color into shadows, rather than depicting them in shades of grey.

The post-impressionist school produced works very similar to the first impressionist paintings, and included Vincent Van Gogh, whose sun-drenched wheat fields and slightly ghost-like cypesses are representative of impressionist landscapes expressed in even stronger color.

Many art lovers today still hold the impressionist paintings as favorites. Thousands of paintings from this period are hung in museums and galleries worldwide Periodically a major show of impressionist paintings, sometimes of a single artist, sometimes of several, is mounted and presented in major museums such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Permanent collections reside in European galleries as well.

Few of us can afford to own a great masterpiece, including an original impressionist painting. However, there are excellent prints available in museums and art galleries which one can purchase at a moderate price and own a fine replica of an impressionist painting. Such prints can give great pleasure, and make a major contribution to one's home.

If you are particularly attracted to impressionist paintings, treat yourself to a fine print and bring the art into your home. Impressionist paintings represent what was basically a revolution in art and brought new excitement and innovative creativity into the world of art.

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