From http://longwood.cs.ucf.edu/~MidLink/Impress.html Impressionist art is a style in which the artist captures the image of an object as someone would see it if they just caught a glimpse of it. They paint the pictures with a lot of color and most of their pictures are outdoor scenes. Their pictures are very bright and vibrant. The artists like to capture their images without detail but with bold colors. Some of the greatest impressionist artists were Edouard Manet, Camille Pissaro, Edgar Degas, Alfred Sisley, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot and Pierre Auguste Renoir. Manet influenced the development of impressionism. He painted everyday objects. Pissaro and Sisley painted the French countryside and river scenes. Degas enjoyed painting ballet dancers and horse races. Morisot painted women doing everyday things. Renoir loved to show the effect of sunlight on flowers and figures. Monet was interested in subtle changes in the atmosphere. Some places you can see the works of these impressionist artists areNetscape:Web museum:L'impressionism among others are Soho Print Poster-Impressionist and Impressionists Subject Page. There are many impressionist artists that you can see, but our favorite is Claude Monet. You can see some of his works at The Web Museum Network . This famous painting, Sunrise, was painted by Claude Monet. He displayed it at a Paris art show and because of the patchy texture, it caused one critic to call the whole show impressionist, which gave the movement it's name. Monet had a fascination with light and that led him to not only paint this picture, but also several others showing the same effect on different objects.

I like Monet too, but I really can't always decide on a favourite impressionist; sometimes he is my favourite, and sometimes somebody else is. They were all wonderful in their own way, because they are the ones who, in my opinion, turned art into someth ing truly creative and something to be admired and loved by everyone, not just people with status or money or a great education. But why don't we start at the beginning, with the Pre-Raphaelites. Pre-Raphaelism was a movement started by a group of young artists in England who reacted aginsts the 'art of the day'. Their ambitions was to bring English art back to a greater 'truth t o nature'. The first painting I would like to post here was done by Millais in the middle 1800's. It is a picture which depicts Shakespeare's tragic story of Ophelia who was driven to madness and suicide by Hamlet's murder of her father, Polonius. You robably know this painting, but I'll post it anyway, because the beautiful flowers floating on the surface of the water are not merely there for decoration, but fulfilled a strong symbolical purpose, as they each had a traditional meaning. Daisies meant Innocence Poppies meant Death Roses meant Youth Pansies stood for Love in vain Violets symbolized Faithfulness Also it is a truly exquisite painting, and defenitely deserves a place here.

So, here in all its glory: Sir John Everett Millais "Ophelia" 1851-52 75 x 112cm

Apparently Millais spent four months painting the background vegetation on the same spot in Surrey, England. Then he went back to London, and painted his model, Elizabeth Siddal, posing in a bath full of water. The result is indeed oddly disconnected, a slmost as if the water, the flowers, the grass and leaves, and finally the girl did not quite belong together, each keeping its own truth. I find it a wonderful, haunting painting.

i like it...

I find it haunting.

Another wonderful neo-impressionist painting is this one by Georges Seurat (1859-91). Georges Seurat Paris, 1859 'Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte' 202cm x 300cm A typical Sunday afternoon at the Grand Jatte, a popular site on an island in the River Seine to the north-west of Paris. When this painting was first shown it was received with treat indignation by most artists and critics of the day. They disapproved of Seurat's revolutionary new painting technique, known as Pointillisme. The surface of the painting is broken up, with the colour painted onto the canvas as tiny dots of pure colour. The result is a mesmerizing haze of brilliant colour.

this one doesn't appeal to me, it seems rigid...they don't look like they're having fun.....

"Ophelia" is pretty disturbing--how'd you like that one hanging over your sofa?? I like the Pointilist technique; though there are others by Seurat I like better, there are none so popular as this one.

Blame it on the fashions of those days, Wolf - they just couldn't breathe, that's all!! I bet Charles Manson would have loved for Ophelia to be hanging over his sofa!

Okay, here's another of my favourites - you girls are so hard to please!!! �BIG SMILE� Claude Monet (1840-1926) 'Poppies' 1873 50cm x 64cm Post your favourites too, will ya!! Or tell me what your favourites are, and I'll go look for them, and post them.

now i like this one. as a child, i remember wondering through fields. this is so much more relaxed than the first one posted. didn't monet do one with irises or water lilies?

Yes, Monet did some water lilies. I find his style and that of Renoir so similar in some ways (probably because the two worked together so closely during the late 1860s, painting the same sort of scenes. I mostly prefer Renoir, because I find his work a bit more 'solid' than Monet's. Monet's attention seems always to have been fixed on the ever changing light, while Renoir seems to have been entranced by people. But he was capable of capturing both the changing light and the person he painted with equ l vividness, yet in a way that doesn't detract attention from either. Here is a good example: Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) 'The Swing' 1876 92cm x 73cm

this one is nice and relaxing. i love the inclusion of the little girl waiting her turn (probably wondering why this lady is on HER swing)

Yes, precisely - that is just what makes him such a wonderful painter. He is SUCH a keen observer.

Stunning. I always loved Renoir's "Girl with a Watering Can" and "Two Sister on a Terrace." The gorgeous irises you're thinking of, Wolf, are by Van Gogh.

Here you go: Vincent van Gogh 'Irises' 1889 71cm x 90cm How about devoting a topic to this incredible artist?

Splendid idea. Please open it.

Will do.

do you have water lilies?

Here you go, Wolfie! Claude Monet "Water Lilies (The Clouds)" 1903 74.6cm x 105.3cm Fantastic, isn't it? Would you like me to open a topic on Monet?

yes, let's! i love the reflection of the clouds, it's as if saying the picture doesn't end where i paint it, see that's water and the clouds are there....

Yes, exactly. It is as if his pictures don't end where the canvas does. They just go on and on. I'll open his topic today.

I have a huge poster of water lilies that I bought in Giverney--it's the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning.

That sounds just like you.

Here's a typical Degas for those of you who are fans:

Oh dear, nearly forgot: Edgar Degas 'The Dancing Lesson' 1871-1874

Big fan here! Love his ballerinas as well as other occupations--remember "The Millinery Shop?" Great hats.

Well, great - I'll see to it that we have more Degas in here then.

Let's see if a summery painting by Bazille pleases you more than the Seurat I posted earlier.... Fr�d�ric Bazille (1841-70) 'Summer Scene' 1869 I adore it anyway!

i dunno, looks like an obsession commercial....

ha-ha!!! An obsession commercial????? What's that?!?!

all these models standing around a nondescript backdrop just staring into space and stuff.

And I thought you'd like all those nice boy bums! But it's difficult to tell with wolves, isn't it? ha-ha! I'll try and find something with a juice squirrel or rabbit - perhaps THAT'LL make your mouth water.

how about some juicy manly men?

sounds good!! I'll go have a look.

Ha ha!! They do have that disinterested "whatever!" Calvin Klein look, don't they?

yes!! especially the dude against the tree! will have to find a CK obsession ad to post here for riette's benefit...

NOOOO PLEEEEEEEZE!!! I never LOOKED further up than those little striped bums, so I apologize for the faces.

Eduard Manet (1832-1883) 'On the Beach' 1873

she looks like she's wearing sneakers! it must be a cold day to hang out there but the sound of the water draws them to be near it.

Wearing sneakers, is she under contract to Nike?

HA-HA!! Maybe she's just getting ready for a game of beach volleyball once she finishes reading her Vogue magazine!

Here's a pretty neat one by an American artist of the 1800's. Martin Johnson Heade (1819-1904) 'Approaching Storm: Bear Near Newport' 1860 I think the light in this painting is just brilliantly done.

Here's another Yankee painting.... Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) 'Two Women Throwing Flowers During Carnaval' 1872 I've read a bit about this artist - that she was an American painter and printmaker who worked mostly in Paris, and very much admired Degas. But this is the first time I've seen her work. Think it's excellent.

I love Cassatt's work, but had never seen this one before. The color's a bit lackluster, I think.

I admire her wonderful presentation of the two women. So beautifully drawn, and the expression on the fat one's face is just lovely.

At the moment I feel we're falling around a bit in the topics. Do you like that, or should I work through the different artists more thoroughly? I could for instance for a few days post a few pics covering the active period of a certain artist for us to discuss - that way we'll get to know him better as an artist, and see how his/her work progressed over the years. And the same with the other topics. Would that not be more interesting? You decide - it's just a suggestion.

If I knew anything about art, I wouldn't need this here conference now would I? You lead, Mistress, and we shall follow. (or not, as you well know...)

ha-ha!!! I'll try and create a bit more order than, if that's alright by all of you! �big hug, muffin!�

Bring on the retrospectives!

will do!!

we're here to learn. you know, i could probably CLEP Art Appreciation after all the stuff we've discussed in this conference. keep up the good work, riette. heck, i spend more time in here than my own conference *grin*

(me, too...look how I've let all of mine go...)

well, at least people are visiting your conferences!

I run through your's at least once a week... sooner, if I see responses!!!

yeah, i'll go into the participants section and check to see if anyone's been there lately.

And as soon as my head recovers I am going to read your poetry.

no rush! really!

I know - but I can't wait! I admire people who write well - I'm not good enough at any specific language to be able to. Not to mention lack of talent.

Zacharie Astruc (1833-1907) Although I could find neither title, nor date for this painting, its creator deserves a place in this topic, as he was one of the first champions of Impressionism. Astruc was a sculptor, painter and art critic, and participated in the very first Impressionist exhibition, as well as the Exposition Universalle of 1900.

the girl is holding, perhaps, what looks like a sewing box and the woman is taking her tea with crumpets. interesting....

It's a very nice family tableau--wonder if it's his family.

No idea! I quite like the picture too - the colouring is a bit unusual, but nice.

whereas I would throw it on the bonfire, I think...

Will do! Don't want my loggers-in to be unhappy with the things I post!!

don't tell me you listen to the critics, too...

Always! Some people just THINK I don't! Go look in Bonfire II if ya don't believe me!!

Okay, in a more ordered fashion, let's explore the work of an early impressionist. Eduard Manet (1832-1883) 'Bench' Before 1860 Eduard Manet was one of the first artists to manage the jump from Realism to Impressionism. I find this a very gentle painting - wonder what the painter was like as a person.

I love it, it's so inviting! Makes me wish it were my garden.

Hmm - I'd love to have my husband alone on a bench like that for two hours....who knows, I might still have my little boy!

Eduard Manet 'Olympia' 1863 This painting caused great outrage when it was exhibited at the Salon in Paris. The reclining nude (who was based on Titian's 'Venus of Urbino') with her blatant sexuality was thought a blatant affront to accepted standards of morality. One critic wrote of it, 'Art sunk so low does not even deserve reproach.'

I always liked Olympia! The Met. Museum of Art even sells the reproduction chokers.

I like her too. She looks so comfortable with, and proud of her nudity/sexuality.