Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: Art Styles That Endure

Art has the ability to captivate and move. Many styles of art have motivated the people of that time and inspired them in the spirit of the artists. Art leaves a lasting impression on the people of that time. It takes a special style of art to last and continue to inspire people for generation after generation. Some of the art of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century continue to have that very affect. Impressionism and Post-Impressionism remain two of the most influential art styles ever.

Likewise Monet, an impressionist, and Van Gogh, classified as a Post-Impressionist, are two of the most renowned visual artists of all time.

The Impressionist movement began in 1874 when a group of artists organized an exhibition of their unconventional art. Within a few years Impressionism had revolutionized European art (Cunningham 349). Although Impressionism at first seems to be completely abstract, it is actually a form of realism. Impressionism uses realism of light rather than realism of form.

They are interested in the way light changes the visual images of objects. These artists looked at the world with an innocent eye and painted the colors that were created without blending them together (Cunningham 349). This technique creates an instantaneous view of the subject of the painting. The goal of Impressionism was to paint what is actually seen by the human eye, and not what the brain interprets the images as. In other words, Impressionism is painting what is seen rather than what is known.

Impressionism differed from many of the art forms that proceeded it in one other way.

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Impressionists were known for capturing the joy and beauty that exists in the world, rather than focusing on the problems (Cunningham 350).

One of the artists that was present at the first impressionist exhibition in 1874 was Claude Monet. In fact, it was Monets painting of a sunrise, titled Impression: Sunrise, for which the entire movement in art was named. However, Monets impact went far beyond the name of an art style. Monet has continued to inspire artists throughout the twentieth century. Money was particularly interested in painting the same objects at different times of the day. He once did a series of paintings of a cathedral. Monet stayed in a hotel facing the cathedral and did several paintings throughout the day that brilliantly demonstrate the effects of light on objects.

Possibly the first artist to be influenced by Monet was Matisse. You can see evidence of Monets loose gentle brushstrokes in many of Matisses works. Monets paintings of the Rouen Cathedral are also attributed to influencing the blurry, spatial movement in Picassos style known as Analytic Cubism. Of course you cannot discuss Monets influence on art without mentioning his series of paintings titled Water Lilies. In these paintings only the lily pads are in the foreground. Everything else is shown below the surface of the water as a reflection. Marcel Duchamp was one artist to be influenced by Water lilies. Duchamps Large Glass an extension of Monets simultaneously transparent and reflective surfaces (Stuckey 142).

At the end of the nineteenth century another movement in art was formed. This is known as Post-Impressionism. The art produced by these artists really has no common physical element. The only common characteristic that the Post-Impressionists share is a rejection of Impressionism (Cunningham 354).

The most well known of all the Post-Impressionist artists is Vincent Van Gogh. However, Van Gogh was not popular while he was alive. In fact he only sold one painting during his lifetime. Van Goghs genius was not realized until after his death. Van Goghs impact is different from Monets. While Monet was a big influence on many artists to follow him, Van Gogh is better known for the popularity of his works among collectors. Van Goghs paintings continually sell for several million dollars. The Cypress and the Tree in Bloom was Van Goghs first painting to sell for over $1 million dollars. It was sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries in 1970 for $1.3 million. Since then over twenty of his paintings have sold for over $1 million, seventeen of which were sold for more than $10 million. Even one of Van Goghs pen and ink drawings was sold for several million when Estee Lauder Chairman Ronald Lauder $8.5 million for Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background (Thomas 192).

What is it about these two artists that makes them so popular? Why do artists imitate Monets style and why are collectors spending millions of dollars on Van Goghs paintings? Monet is so popular today because he gives us another way to look at everyday scenes that we ordinarily take for granted. He shows us the true colors and beauty of the world. Monets paintings are a break from the normal. He does not show us the realism of form that we see everyday. Instead he shows us realism of light. A type of realism that few people ever experience or are even capable of experiencing. Instead we turn to Monet to show us what we cant see. We use his genius to show us the world in a different light.

Vincent Van Gogh was a tormented person, and it is reflected in his work. That is why he remains so popular to this day. Van Gogh used his art to escape from the troubles of his life. He communicated his emotions very powerfully through his art. Every person that looks at a Van Gogh painting gets a personal experience from it. Each person takes the emotions that Van Gogh has portrayed and makes them their own.

Van Goghs Starry Night is my personal favorite. Looking at it gives me the experience of a restless night as the swirling lines take my eyes from one corner of the painting to the other. Starry Night captivates me and takes my attention away from my problems. It helps me escape. I feel that Van Goghs art has this same kind of effect on many people.

Today you cant pick up an art book without it mentioning Monet or Van Gogh in some way. They inspire people to look at things in a different light and contemplate their emotions that these new views instill in them. That is why Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art is so popular today, and it will continue to captivate people for years to come.