Discover how scenes of daily life and delicate dabs of color shocked the art world establishment.
In this TASCHEN Basic Art introduction toImpressionism, we explore the artists, subjects, and techniques that first brought the easel out of the studio and shifted artistic attention from history, religion, or portraiture to theevanescent ebb and flow of modern life.As we tour thetheaters, bars, and parks of Paris and beyond, we take in the movement s radical innovations in style and subject, from the principle ofplein airpainting to the rapid, broken brushwork that allowed the Impressionists to emphasizespontaneity, movement, and the changing qualities of light. We take a close look at their unusual new perspectives and their fresh palette of pure, unblended colors, including many vividly bright shades that brought a wholenew level of chromatic intensityto the canvas.Along the way, we recognize Impressionism s established greats, such asEdgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot,andCamille Pissarro, as well as many associated artists worthy of closer attention, includingMarie Bracquemond, Medardo Rosso,andFritz von Uhde.
