A good friend of mine and artist who used to teach art history to college students told me that impressionism is the most widely studied and widely collected style of painting in the world.  I asked her why she thought that was and she said, "It's beautiful!"

And I agree! What we call impressionism started in Paris around 1860 and the term was coined from a painting by the most famous of impressionist, Monet.  The painting is titled Impression, soleil levant .  The basic characteristics of impressionistic paintings from this era are

• Scenes of everyday life
• atmospheric conditions such as haze or fog -- everything isn't always crystal clear
• bold brushstrokes and pure colors
• outdoor scenes usually painted plein aire (in the open air--out of doors)
• the lack of black used in shadows and for shading
• the study of light and light reflections
• a painterly style with many softened edges
  

These stylistic points are what made impressionism unique at the time.  Prior to this era, the majority of paintings were of historical scenes or religious in nature.  Paintings were done in the studio and not out of doors.  Blacks, umbers, siennas and those darker hues were used a great deal. The effects of light and weather could not be observed indoors and might obscure a scene that was to tell the story of an important event.  Thin, even glazes were usually employed and no brushstrokes were visable.  So, impressionism was a radical approach to painting when it first debuted and it was not well received by the art critics of the time.

But, the art collectors of the day fell in love with this new style and the art collectors of today still love it!  I am a great fan of those pioneering impressionist and of contemporary impressionists. 

And that begs the question, how has impressionism changed in the last 140 or so years? The answer isn't so easy.  Many contemporary impressionists stick to the style points outlined above.  But many of us also like to bend the rules because, hey, we are artists.  However, if you are looking to buy contemporary impressionistic art, many of those style points still hold true.  For me, the key style points to look for in today's impressionism are the bold brushstrokes, vibrant unmuddied colors, painterly style and the unique quality so important of impressionism--light. 

I agree with my friend in that impressionism, whether classic or contemporary, is beautiful.

Be sure to check out my other  guide.