Theory Of American Impressionism

Impressionism is ‘The Theory or Method of suggesting an effect or impression without elaboration of the details.’ It was a 19th century art movement that began in France. A new way of painting landscape and scenes of everyday life developed in France by Monet and others from early 1860s. Impressionist paintings have visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on Light, realist views and bright colors. It is said that the name of the movement is derived from the title of a Claude Monet work, Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant). Impressionism was introduced to American artist in the 1880’s through exhibitions of the French impressionist in Boston and New York. Theodore Robinson was one of the first American artists to paint in an Impressionist style. American Impressionism flourished from 1890’s through 1910s in art colonies, a place where creative people lived and interacted with one another. Post the 1910’s impressionism had fizzled however was reborn in 1950’s a quarter of a century after the death of Monet.

Some of the prominent American Impressionist painters are J. Ottis Adams, Lucy Bacon, John Noble Barlow, Charles W. Bartlett, Marilyn Bendell, Frank Weston Benson, Johann Berthelsen, John Elwood Bundy, Dennis Miller Bunker, Mary Cassatt and William Merritt Chase. American artists preferred the scenery of Hudson, unpolluted lakes, streams and landscapes but the Civil war changed everything for these artists. With all the changes American Impressionism found a new version and therefore painters found they were free of obligation and started experimenting. Mary cassatt and William Metcalf were the first exposed to the art when they were studying in Europe.

A few characteristics of American Impressionism are asymmetrical balance, use of colored shadows, use of pure color, broken color or broken brushstrokes, use of thick paint, subject matter, high horizontal lines, photographic influence, influence of Japanese prints and painted “En Plein Air” a French term that means outdoors. Painting in the open air is still a popular method among American Impressionists.