Paintings in the style of Impressionism !!! What is the difference between Russian impressionism in painting and French? Contemporary impressionist paintings

The phrase "Russian impressionism" just a year ago cut the ears of the average citizen of our vast country. Every educated person knows about light, light and impetuous French impressionism, can distinguish Monet from Manet and learn from all still lifes Van Gogh's sunflowers. Someone heard something about the American branch of the development of this direction of painting - more urban in comparison with the French landscapes of Hassam and portraits of Chase. But researchers argue about the existence of Russian impressionism to this day.

Konstantin Korovin

The history of Russian impressionism began with the painting "Portrait of a Chorus Girl" by Konstantin Korovin, as well as with a lack of understanding and condemnation of the public. Having seen this work for the first time, IE Repin did not immediately believe that the work was performed by a Russian painter: “Spaniard! I see. He writes boldly, juicy. Perfectly. But this is only painting for painting. Spaniard, however, with temperament ... ". Konstantin Alekseevich himself began to paint his canvases in an impressionistic manner during his student years, being unfamiliar with the paintings of Cezanne, Monet and Renoir, long before his trip to France. Only thanks to the experienced eye of Polenov, Korovin learned that he was using the technique of the French of that time, which he came to intuitively. At the same time, the Russian artist is given out the subjects that he uses for his paintings - the recognized masterpiece "Northern Idyll", written in 1892 and stored in Tretyakov Gallery, demonstrates to us Korovin's love for Russian traditions and folklore. This love was instilled in the artist by the "Mamontov circle" - a community of the creative intelligentsia, which included Repin, Polenov, Vasnetsov, Vrubel and many other friends of the famous philanthropist Savva Mamontov. In Abramtsevo, where the Mamontov estate was located and where members of the art circle gathered, Korovin was lucky to meet and work with Valentin Serov. Thanks to this acquaintance, the work of the already established artist Serov acquired the features of light, light and impetuous impressionism, which we see in one of his early works - “An Open Window. Lilac".

Portrait of a chorus girl, 1883

Northern idyll, 1886

Bird cherry, 1912

Gurzuf 2, 1915

Pier in Gurzuf, 1914

Paris, 1933

Valentin Serov

Serov's painting is permeated with a feature inherent only in Russian impressionism - his paintings reflect not only the impression of what the artist saw, but also the state of his soul in this moment... For example, the painting "St. Mark's Square in Venice", painted in Italy, where Serov went in 1887 due to a serious illness, is dominated by cold gray tones, which gives us an idea of ​​the artist's condition. But, despite the rather gloomy palette, the picture is a reference impressionistic work, since on it Serov managed to capture the real world in its mobility and variability, convey his fleeting impressions. In a letter to his bride from Venice, Serov wrote: “In this century, they write everything difficult, nothing gratifying. I want, I want gratifying, and I will write only gratifying. "

Open window. Lilac, 1886

St. Mark's Square in Venice, 1887

Girl with peaches (Portrait of V.S.Mamontova)

Coronation. Confirmation of Nicholas II in the Assumption Cathedral, 1896

Girl in the Sunshine, 1888

Bathing a horse, 1905

Alexander Gerasimov

Alexander Mikhailovich Gerasimov became one of the students of Korovin and Serov, who adopted from them an expressive brushstroke, a bright palette and a sketchy manner of writing. The heyday of the artist's work fell on the time of the revolution, which could not but be reflected in the subjects of his paintings. Despite the fact that Gerasimov gave his brush to the service of the party and became famous thanks to the outstanding portraits of Lenin and Stalin, he continued to work on impressionistic landscapes close to his soul. The work of Alexander Mikhailovich "After the Rain" reveals to us the artist as a master of the transmission of air and light in the picture, to which Gerasimov owes the influence of his eminent mentors.

Artists at Stalin's dacha, 1951

Stalin and Voroshilov in the Kremlin, 1950s

After the rain. Wet terrace, 1935

Still life. Field bouquet, 1952

Igor Grabar

In a conversation about late Russian impressionism, one cannot but refer to the work of the great art worker Igor Emmanuilovich Grabar, who adopted many of the techniques of French painters of the second half of the XIX century thanks to his many trips to Europe. Using the techniques of the classical impressionists, in his paintings Grabar depicts absolutely Russian landscape motives and everyday subjects... While Monet paints the blossoming gardens of Giverny, and Degas - beautiful ballerinas, Grabar depicts the harsh Russian winter and village life with the same pastel colors. Most of all, Grabar loved to depict frost on his canvases and dedicated to him a whole collection of works, consisting of more than a hundred small multi-colored sketches created in different time days and in different weather. The difficulty of working on such drawings was that the paint solidified in the cold, so the work had to be done quickly. But this is precisely what allowed the artist to recreate "that very moment" and convey his impression of him, which is the main idea of ​​classical impressionism. Igor Emmanuilovich's style of painting is often called scientific impressionism, because he attached great importance to light and air on canvases and created many studies on the transfer of color. Moreover, it is to him that we owe the chronological arrangement of the paintings in the Tretyakov Gallery, of which he was director in 1920-1925.

Birch Alley, 1940

Winter landscape, 1954

Hoarfrost, 1905

Pears on a Blue Tablecloth, 1915

Manor corner (Sunbeam), 1901

Yuri Pimenov

Completely non-classical, but still impressionism developed in Soviet times, bright representative which becomes Yuri Ivanovich Pimenov, who came to the image of "a fleeting impression in bed tones" after working in the style of expressionism. One of the most famous works Pimenov's painting "New Moscow" of the 1930s becomes - light, warm, as if painted with Renoir's airy strokes. But at the same time, the plot of this work is completely inconsistent with one of the main ideas of impressionism - the refusal to use social and political themes. Pimenov's "New Moscow" perfectly reflects the social changes in the life of the city, which have always inspired the artist. “Pimenov loves Moscow, its new, its people. The painter generously gives this feeling to the viewer ", - wrote in 1973 the artist and researcher Igor Dolgopolov. Indeed, looking at the paintings of Yuri Ivanovich, we are imbued with love for Soviet life, new quarters, lyrical housewarming and urbanism, captured in the technique of impressionism.

Pimenov's work proves once again that everything "Russian" brought from other countries has its own special and unique path of development. So is French impressionism in Russian Empire and the Soviet Union has absorbed the features of the Russian worldview, national character and everyday life. Impressionism, as a way of transmitting only one perception of reality in its pure form, remained alien to Russian art, because every picture of Russian artists is filled with meaning, awareness, a state of the fickle Russian soul, and not just a fleeting impression. Therefore, next weekend, when the Museum of Russian Impressionism will re-present the main exhibition to Muscovites and guests of the capital, everyone will find something for themselves among Serov's sensual portraits, Pimenov's urbanism and landscapes atypical for Kustodiev.

New Moscow

Lyrical housewarming, 1965

Dressing room The Bolshoi Theater, 1972

Early morning in Moscow, 1961

Paris. Rue Saint-Dominique. 1958

Stewardess, 1964

Perhaps for most people, the names of Korovin, Serov, Gerasimov and Pimenov are still not connected by a certain style of art for most people, but the Museum of Russian Impressionism, which opened in Moscow in May 2016, nevertheless collected the works of these artists under one roof.

It is believed that art has no boundaries. Nevertheless, people decided to divide the works of artists by genre, in which it is quite easy to get confused, because the boundaries of the styles are conditional. Today we will focus on one of the main directions in painting - impressionism.

The rise of impressionism

Impressionism as a genre of art originated in France in the 1870s. The origin of this style was the creation of the painting by C. Monet "Impression. Sunrise" (1872). One journalist called the artist an impressionist, but with a negative connotation. But soon it was forgotten, and the picture spawned a new genre.

in 1874, the Imperialist painters held their first separate exhibition. The paintings displayed on it were criticized for their lack of meaning, relaxedness and poor drawing. However, the artists did not stop and continued to organize similar events, declaring their art.

Impressionism was a purely French phenomenon. Artists from other countries were able to adopt some features, but not fully.

It was the Impressionists who were the first to move away from the generally accepted standards and patterns of academic writing, thereby giving a huge impetus to the development artistic arts... They were deeply involved in color research and new writing techniques that ultimately led us to today's diversity.

It should be noted that Impressionism has had a serious impact and inspired by its novelty representatives of other spheres of art: sculpture, music and literature.

What Impressionist Paintings Tell About

Impressionism focuses on the image and the impression it gives to the viewer. Impressionist paintings most often depict ordinary scenes from life: city bustle or landscapes. Their works give the audience those fleeting impressions that the painters themselves experienced. Impressionism does not notice problems or negativity, it shows exclusively the positive aspects of life.

Mostly in the paintings you can see such subjects as picnics, boating, dancing, tea drinking, outdoor fun and other joys of life. People in the paintings are not frozen, but moving, playing, laughing, most often depicted by the Impressionists. Pictures allow us to plunge into the living reality of past centuries, to see what kind of environment surrounded people XIX century.

Features of the paintings of the impressionists

The talent of reflecting the instant first impression on the canvas is the main feature of all artists. They always created from nature, without any sketches, capturing and conveying the general mood. Impressionist paintings do not carry deep meaning or hidden content, they depict everyday life, but they do it not simply, but skillfully. When looking at such pictures, the viewer immediately has a certain thought or emotion, which remains for some time after viewing.

A special style of writing was developed by the Impressionists. The pictures painted by them are most often distinguished by fuzzy lines and individual strokes The fact is that they conveyed all colors with a standard set of paints, skillfully placing strokes. They paid much attention in their works to the play of light and shadows, trying to create contrast. Illustrative in this regard is the painting by O. Renoir "Ball at the Moulin de la Galette" (1876).

Great impressionists of the past

Since the inception of the trend, there have been many artists who have worked in the style of impressionism, but very few can be called truly great. Thus, the most famous impressionist painters are C. Monet, O. Renoir, A. Sisley and C. Pissaro. In general, impressionism as a trend was especially popular at the end of the 19th century, it was then that true masters worked.

This was the beginning, the inspiration for others at least famous artists- V. van Gogh, P. Cezanne, P. Gauguin. These artists became the founders of Post-Impressionism, which made it its goal to abandon the depiction of real life, a transition to depicting its foundations.

Modern impressionists

Do not think that the direction ceased to exist after its heyday. There are still artists who choose impressionism for their work.

The paintings of modern impressionists cause no less admiration than the canvases of the past. Today, many masters create in this genre, but which of them is most worthy of this title, time will tell. Nevertheless, there are several artists, the canvases are positioned as impressionist paintings. Photos of their work are presented below.

Take, for example, an artist named Kent R. Wallis. His canvases are distinguished by bright, saturated colors, with the help of which he creates magnificent landscapes.

Also fascinating are the paintings of the artist I.J. Paprocki (E.J. Paprocki).

In his canvases, flowers, leaves and other small elements are performed very realistically, while the rest of the background is performed with strokes. This allows him to convey the beauty of detail and at the same time the general first impressions characteristic of Impressionism.

"A new world was born when the impressionists wrote it"

Henri Kahnweiler

XIX century. France. An unprecedented thing happened in painting. A group of young artists decided to shake 500 years of tradition. Instead of a clear drawing, they used a wide, "sloppy" brushstroke.

And they completely abandoned the usual images, depicting everyone in a row. And ladies of easy virtue, and gentlemen of dubious reputation.

The public was not ready for the Impressionist painting. They were ridiculed and scolded. And most importantly, nothing was bought from them.

But the resistance was broken. And some of the Impressionists lived to see their triumph. True, they were already over 40. Like Claude Monet or Auguste Renoir. Others received recognition only at the end of their lives, like Camille Pissarro. Someone did not live up to him, like Alfred Sisley.

What revolutionary did each of them accomplish? Why did the public not accept them for so long? Here are 7 of the most celebrated French Impressionists the world knows.

1. Edouard Manet (1832-1883)

Edouard Manet. Self-portrait with a palette. 1878 Private collection

Manet was older than most Impressionists. He was their main inspiration.

Manet himself did not pretend to be the leader of the revolutionaries. He was a socialite. I dreamed of official awards.

But he waited for recognition for a very long time. The audience wanted to see Greek goddesses or still lifes at worst, to look beautiful in the dining room. Manet wanted to write modern life... For example, courtesans.

The result was Breakfast on the Grass. Two dandies are resting in the company of ladies of easy virtue. One of them, as if nothing had happened, sits next to the dressed men.

Edouard Manet. Breakfast on the grass. 1863, Paris

Compare his Breakfast on the Grass with Tom Couture's Romans in Decline. Couture's painting made a splash. The artist instantly became famous.

“Breakfast on the Grass” was accused of vulgarity. Pregnant women were absolutely seriously not recommended to look at her.

Thomas Couture. Decline Romans. 1847 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. artchive.ru

In the painting by Couture, we see all the attributes of academism (traditional painting of the 16th-19th centuries). Columns and statues. People of Apollo appearance. Traditional muted colors. The mannerism of postures and gestures. A plot from the distant life of a completely different people.

Manet's “Breakfast on the Grass” is of a different format. Before him, no one had portrayed courtesans so easily. Next to respectable townspeople. Although many men of that time and spent their leisure time. It was real life real people.

Once he portrayed a respectable lady. Ugly. He couldn't flatter her with a brush. The lady was disappointed. She left him in tears.

Edouard Manet. Angelina. 1860 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Wikimedia.commons.org

So he continued to experiment. For example, with color. He did not try to portray the so-called natural flavor. If he saw gray-brown water as bright blue, then he portrayed it as bright blue.

This, of course, annoyed the audience. “After all, even the Mediterranean Sea cannot boast of such a blue as the water of Manet,” they snapped.

Edouard Manet. Argenteuil. 1874 Museum fine arts, Tournai, Belgium. Wikipedia.org

But the fact remains. Manet radically changed the purpose of painting. The painting became the embodiment of the individuality of the artist, who writes as he pleases. Forgetting patterns and traditions.

Innovation was not forgiven him for a long time. Recognition waited only at the end of his life. But he no longer needed it. He was painfully fading away from an incurable disease.

2. Claude Monet (1840-1926)

Claude Monet. Self-portrait in a beret. 1886 Private collection

Claude Monet can be called a textbook impressionist. Since he was faithful to this direction all his long life.

He did not paint objects and people, but a single color structure of glare and spots. Separate strokes. Trembling air.

Claude Monet. Paddling pool. 1869 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Metmuseum.org

Monet wrote not only about nature. He also succeeded in urban landscapes. One of the most famous - .

This picture has a lot of photography. For example, motion is conveyed using a blurred image.

Please note: distant trees and figures seem to be in a haze.

Claude Monet. Boulevard des Capucines in Paris. 1873 (Gallery of Art of Europe and America of the 19th and 20th centuries), Moscow

Before us is a frozen moment of the seething life of Paris. No staging. Nobody is posing. People are depicted as a collection of strokes. Such plotlessness and freeze frame effect - main feature impressionism.

By the mid-80s, artists became disillusioned with Impressionism. Aesthetics is, of course, good. But the plotlessness depressed many.

Only Monet continued to persist, exaggerating impressionism. This developed into a series of paintings.

He painted the same landscape dozens of times. At different times of the day. At different times of the year. To show how temperature and light can change the same look beyond recognition.

This is how countless haystacks appeared.

Paintings by Claude Monet at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Left: Haystacks at sunset at Giverny, 1891 Right: Haystack (snow effect), 1891

Please note that the shadows in these paintings are colored. And not gray or black, as was customary before the Impressionists. This is another invention of theirs.

Monet managed to enjoy success and material well-being. After 40, he has already forgotten about poverty. Got a home and a lovely garden. And I still worked for my own pleasure long years.

Read about the most iconic painting of the master in the article

3. Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Self-portrait. 1875 Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts, USA. Pinterest.ru

Impressionism is the most positive painting. And the most positive among the Impressionists was Renoir.

You will not find drama in his paintings. Even black paint he did not use. Only the joy of being. Even the most commonplace in Renoir looks beautiful.

Unlike Monet, Renoir painted people more often. Landscapes were less important to him. In the paintings, his friends and acquaintances are resting and enjoying life.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Breakfast of the rowers. 1880-1881 The Phillips Collection, Washington, USA. Wikimedia.commons.org

You will not find in Renoir and profundity. He was very happy to join the Impressionists, who polls refused to plots.

As he himself said, he finally has the opportunity to paint flowers and call them simply “Flowers”. And not make up any stories about them.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Woman with umbrella in the garden. 1875 Thyssen-Bormenis Museum, Madrid. arteuam.com

Best of all, Renoir felt himself in the company of women. He asked his maids to sing and joke. The more stupid and naive the song was, the better for him. And the male chatter tired him. It is not surprising that Renoir is known for his nude paintings.

The model in the painting "Nude in the Sunlight" appears to appear against a colorful abstract background. Because for Renoir, there is nothing secondary. The model's eye or background area is equivalent.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Nude in the sunlight. 1876 ​​Museum d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.commons.org

Renoir lived a long life. And I never put down the brush and palette. Even when his hands were completely shackled by rheumatism, he tied the brush to his hand with a rope. And drew.

Like Monet, he received recognition after 40 years. And I saw my paintings in the Louvre, next to the works of famous masters.

Read about one of the most charming portraits of Renoir in the article

4. Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

Edgar Degas. Self-portrait. 1863 Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal. Cultured.com

Degas was not a classical impressionist. He did not like to work in the open air. You will not find a deliberately lightened palette with him.

On the contrary, he loved a clear line. He has plenty of black color. And he worked exclusively in the studio.

Yet he is always ranked alongside other great Impressionists. Because he was an impressionist of gesture.

Unexpected angles. Asymmetry in the arrangement of objects. Characters taken by surprise. These are the main attributes of his paintings.

He stopped moments of life, not allowing the characters to come to their senses. Just look at his Opera Orchestra.

Edgar Degas. Opera Orchestra. 1870 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. commons.wikimedia.org

In the foreground is the back of a chair. The musician has his back to us. And in the background the ballerinas on the stage did not fit into the “frame”. Their heads are mercilessly “cut off” by the edge of the picture.

His favorite dancers are not always depicted in beautiful poses. Sometimes they just stretch.

But such an improvisation is imaginary. Of course, Degas thought carefully about the composition. This is just a freeze frame effect, not a real freeze frame.

Edgar Degas. Two ballet dancers. 1879 Shelbourne Museum, Vermouth, USA

Edgar Degas loved to paint women. But illness or body characteristics did not allow him to have physical contact with them. He has never been married. No one has ever seen him with a lady.

Absence real stories in his personal life added a subtle and intense eroticism to his images.

Edgar Degas. Ballet star. 1876-1878 Musée d'Orsay, Paris. wikimedia.comons.org

Please note that only the ballerina herself is drawn in the painting "The Star of the Ballet". Her colleagues behind the scenes are barely distinguishable. Maybe a few legs.

This does not mean that Degas did not complete the picture. This is the technique. To keep only the most important in focus. The rest should be made disappearing, illegible.

Read about other paintings by the master in the article

5. Berthe Morisot (1841-1895)

Edouard Manet. Portrait of Berthe Morisot. 1873 Marmottan-Monet Museum, Paris.

Berthe Morisot is rarely placed in the first row of the great impressionists. I’m sure it’s not deserved. Just here you will find all the main features and techniques of impressionism. And if you like this style, you will love her work with all your heart.

Morisot worked quickly and impulsively, transferring her impressions to the canvas. The figures seem to be about to dissolve in space.

Berthe Morisot. Summer. 1880 Fabre Museum, Montpellier, France.

Like Degas, she often left out some details. And even body parts of the model. We cannot distinguish the hands of the girl in the painting "Summer".

Morisot's path to self-expression was difficult. Not only that she was engaged in "sloppy" painting. She was still a woman. In those days, a lady was supposed to dream of marriage. After that, any hobby was forgotten.

Therefore, Bertha refused marriage for a long time. Until I found a man who was respectful of her occupation. Eugene Manet was the brother of the artist Édouard Manet. He dutifully carried an easel and paints for his wife.

Berthe Morisot. Eugene Manet with his daughter in Bougival. 1881 Marmottan-Monet Museum, Paris.

But still it was in the 19th century. No, Morisot did not wear trousers. But she could not afford complete freedom of movement.

She could not go to the park to work alone, without someone close to her. I couldn't sit alone in a cafe. Therefore, her paintings are people from the family circle. Husband, daughter, relatives, nannies.

Berthe Morisot. A woman with a child in a garden in Bougival. 1881 g. National Museum Wales, Cardiff.

Morisot did not wait for recognition. She died at the age of 54 from pneumonia, without selling almost any of her work during her lifetime. On her death certificate, there was a dash in the line of business. It was unthinkable for a woman to be called an artist. Even if she really was.

Read about the master's paintings in the article

6. Camille Pissarro (1830 - 1903)

Camille Pissarro. Self-portrait. 1873 Museum d'Orsay, Paris. Wikipedia.org

Camille Pissarro. Conflict-free, judicious. Many perceived him as a teacher. Even the most temperamental colleagues did not speak ill of Pissarro.

He was a staunch follower of Impressionism. In dire need, with a wife and five children, he still worked hard in his favorite style. And he never switched to salon painting to become more popular. It is not known where he got the strength to believe in himself to the end.

In order not to die of hunger at all, Pissarro painted fans, which he willingly bought up. And real recognition came to him after 60 years! Then he was finally able to forget about the need.

Camille Pissarro. Stagecoach in Louveciennes. 1869 Museum d'Orsay, Paris

The air in Pissarro's paintings is thick and dense. An extraordinary fusion of color and volume.

The artist was not afraid to paint the most changeable natural phenomena that appear for a moment and disappear. First snow, frosty sun, long shadows.

One of the largest trends in art in the last decades of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century is impressionism, which spread throughout the world from France. Its representatives were engaged in the development of such methods and techniques of painting that would allow the most vivid and natural reflection of the real world in dynamics, to convey fleeting impressions of it.

Many artists created their canvases in the style of impressionism, but the founders of the movement were Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, Frederic Bazille, Camille Pissarro. It is impossible to name their best works, since they are all beautiful, but there are the most famous ones, and it is about them that will be discussed below.

Claude Monet: “Impression. Rising Sun"

The canvas from which to start a conversation about the best paintings of the Impressionists. Claude Monet painted it in 1872 from life in the old port of Le Havre, France. Two years later, the painting was shown to the public for the first time in the former workshop of the French artist and cartoonist Nadar. This exhibition has become fateful for the art world. Impressed (not in the best sense) by Monet's work, whose name in the original language sounds like "Impression, soleil levant", the journalist Louis Leroy first introduced the term "impressionism" into circulation, denoting a new direction in painting.

The painting was stolen in 1985 together with the works of O. Renoir and B. Morisot. They discovered it five years later. Currently, "Impression. The Rising Sun ”belongs to the Marmottan-Monet Museum in Paris.

Edouard Monet: Olympia

The painting "Olympia", created by the French impressionist Edouard Manet in 1863, is one of the masterpieces of modern painting. It was first presented at the Paris Salon in 1865. Impressionist painters and their paintings often found themselves in the center high-profile scandals... However, Olympia became the cause of the largest of them in the history of art.

On the canvas, we see a naked woman, face and body facing the audience. The second character is a dark-skinned maid holding a luxurious bouquet wrapped in paper. At the foot of the bed there is a black kitten in a characteristic pose with an arched back. Not much is known about the history of the painting; only two sketches have come down to us. The model was, most likely, Manet's favorite model - Quiz Mönard. There is an opinion that the artist used the image of Marguerite Bellange - Napoleon's mistress.

During the period of creativity when Olympia was created, Manet was fascinated by Japanese art, and therefore deliberately refused to elaborate on the nuances of dark and light. Because of this, his contemporaries did not see the volume of the depicted figure, they considered it flat and rough. The artist was accused of immorality and vulgarity. Never before have Impressionist paintings provoked such excitement and mockery from the crowd. The administration was forced to place guards around her. Degas compared Manet's fame, won through Olympia, and the courage with which he received criticism, with Garibaldi's life story.

Almost a quarter of a century after the exhibition, the canvas was kept out of the reach of the prying eyes of the master artist. Then it was exhibited again in Paris in 1889. It was almost bought, but the artist's friends collected the required amount and bought "Olympia" from the widow of Manet, and then donated it to the state. Today the painting belongs to the Orsay Museum in Paris.

Auguste Renoir: "Big Bathers"

The picture is written French artist in 1884-1887 Taking into account all the now famous Impressionist paintings between 1863 and the beginning of the twentieth century, "Big Bathers" is called the largest canvas with nude female figures. Renoir worked on it for over three years, and during this period many sketches and sketches were created. There was no other painting in his work that he devoted so much time to.

In the foreground, the viewer sees three naked women, two of whom are on the shore, and the third is in the water. The figures are written very realistically and clearly, which is characteristic feature style of the artist. Renoir's models were Alina Sharigo (his future wife) and Suzanne Valadon, who in the future herself became a famous artist.

Edgar Degas: Blue Dancers

Not all of the famous Impressionist paintings listed in the article were painted with oil on canvas. The photo above allows you to understand what the painting "Blue Dancers" is. It is made in pastels on a paper sheet measuring 65x65 cm and belongs to the late period of the artist's work (1897). He painted it with already impaired eyesight, therefore, the decorative organization is of paramount importance: the image is perceived as large colored spots, especially when viewed up close. The topic of the dancers was close to Degas. She was repeatedly repeated in his work. Many critics believe that the harmony of color and composition of "Blue Dancers" can be considered better work artist on this topic. Currently, the painting is kept in the Museum of Arts. A.S. Pushkin in Moscow.

Frederic Bazille: "Pink Dress"

One of the founders of French Impressionism, Frederic Bazille was born into a bourgeois family of a wealthy winemaker. Even during his years of study at the Lyceum, he began to get involved in painting. Having moved to Paris, he made acquaintance with C. Monet and O. Renoir. Unfortunately, the artist was destined for a short life path... He died at the age of 28 at the front during the Franco-Prussian War. However, his, albeit few, canvases are rightfully included in the list “ The best paintings impressionists ". One of them is “ Pink dress", Written in 1864. By all indications, the canvas can be attributed to early Impressionism: color contrasts, attention to color, sunlight and a frozen moment, the very thing that was called" impression ". The model was one of the artist's cousins, Teresa de Horse. The painting is currently owned by the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Camille Pissarro: “Boulevard Montmartre. Afternoon, sunny "

Camille Pissaro became famous for his landscapes, characteristic feature which is the rendering of light and illuminated objects. His work has had a significant impact on the genre of impressionism. The artist independently developed many of his inherent principles, which formed the basis of creativity in the future.

Pissaro liked to write the same place at different times of the day. He has a whole series of paintings with Parisian boulevards and streets. The most famous of them is Boulevard Montmartre (1897). It reflects all the charm that the artist sees in the seething and restless life of this corner of Paris. Viewing the boulevard from the same place, he demonstrates it to the viewer on a sunny and cloudy day, in the morning, afternoon and late evening. The photo below shows the painting Boulevard Montmartre at night.

This style was later adopted by many artists. We will only mention which paintings of the Impressionists were painted under the influence of Pissarro. This trend can be clearly seen in the work of Monet (series of paintings "Stoga").

Alfred Sisley: "Lawns in Spring"

"Lawns in Spring" is one of the latest paintings by landscape painter Alfred Sisley, written in 1880-1881. On it, the viewer sees a forest path along the banks of the Seine with a village on the opposite bank. In the foreground is a girl - the artist's daughter Jeanne Sisley.

The artist's landscapes convey the true atmosphere of the historical region of Ile-de-France and retain a special softness and transparency. natural phenomena typical for specific seasons. The artist was never a supporter of unusual effects and adhered to a simple composition and a limited palette of colors. Now the picture is kept in National Gallery London.

We have listed the most famous Impressionist paintings (with titles and descriptions). These are masterpieces of world painting. The unique style of painting, which originated in France, was at first perceived with mockery and irony, critics emphasized the frank negligence of artists in writing canvases. Now, hardly anyone dares to challenge their genius. Impressionist paintings are exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world and are a welcome exhibit for any private collection.

The style has not sunk into oblivion and has many followers. Our compatriot Andrei Koch, French painter Laurent Parsellier, American women Diana Leonard and Karen Tarlton are famous modern impressionists. Their paintings are made in the best traditions genre filled with bright colors, bold strokes and life. The photo above is the work of Laurent Parsellier "In the Rays of the Sun".

Impressionism is a direction in painting that originated in France in XIX-XX centuries, which is an artistic attempt to capture some moment of life in all its variability and mobility. The paintings of the Impressionists are like a high-quality washed-out photograph, reviving the continuation of the seen story in fantasy. In this article, we'll take a look at 10 of the world's most famous impressionists. Fortunately, talented artists much more than ten, twenty or even a hundred, so let's dwell on those names that you need to know.

In order not to offend either the artists or their admirers, the list is given in Russian alphabetical order.

1. Alfred Sisley

This French painter of English descent is considered the most famous landscape painter of the second half of the 19th century. In his collection there are more than 900 paintings, of which the most famous are "Rural Alley", "Frost in Louveciennes", "Bridge at Argenteuil", "Early Snow in Louveciennes", "Lawns in Spring", and many others.

2. Van Gogh

Known to the whole world for the sad story of his ear (by the way, he did not cut off all of his ear, but only the lobe), Wang Gong became popular only after his death. And for his life he was able to sell a single painting, 4 months before his death. They say he was both an entrepreneur and a priest, but often ended up in psychiatric hospitals due to depression, so all the rebellion of his existence resulted in legendary works.

3. Camille Pissarro

Pissarro was born on the island of St. Thomas, in a family of bourgeois Jews, and was one of the few Impressionists, whose parents encouraged his passion and soon sent to Paris to study. Most of all, the artist liked nature, it was he who depicted it in all colors, or, more precisely, Pissarro had a special talent for choosing the softness of colors, compatibility, after which air seemed to appear in the paintings.

4. Claude Monet

From childhood, the boy decided that he would become an artist, despite the prohibitions of the family. Having moved to Paris on his own, Claude Monet plunged into the gray everyday life of a hard life: two years serving in the armed forces in Algeria, litigation with creditors due to poverty, illness. However, it seems that the difficulties did not oppress, but rather inspired the artist to create such vivid paintings as "Impression, sunrise", "Parliament building in London", "Bridge to Europe", "Autumn in Argenteuil", "On the shore Trouville ”, and many others.

5. Konstantin Korovin

It is nice to know that among the French, the parents of impressionism, one can proudly place our compatriot, Konstantin Korovin. A passionate love for nature helped him to intuitively give an unimaginable liveliness to a static picture, thanks to the connection suitable paints, the width of the strokes, the choice of theme. It is impossible to pass by his paintings "The Pier in Gurzuf", "Fish, Wine and Fruit", " Autumn landscape», « Moonlight night... Winter ”and a series of his works dedicated to Paris.

6. Paul Gauguin

Until the age of 26, Paul Gauguin did not even think about painting. He was an entrepreneur and had a large family. However, when I first saw the paintings of Camille Pissarro, I decided that he would certainly paint. Over time, the artist's style has changed, but the most famous impressionistic paintings are "Garden in the Snow", "At the Cliff", "On the Beach in Dieppe", "Nude", "Palms in Martinique" and others.

7. Paul Cezanne

Cezanne, unlike most of his colleagues, became famous during his lifetime. He managed to organize his own exhibition and gain considerable income from it. People knew a lot about his paintings - he, like no one else, learned to combine the play of light and shadow, made a loud emphasis on correct and irregular geometric shapes, the severity of the subject matter of his paintings was in harmony with romance.

8. Pierre Auguste Renoir

Until the age of 20, Renoir worked as a fan decorator for his older brother, and only then moved to Paris, where he met Monet, Basil and Sisley. This acquaintance helped him in the future to take the road of impressionism and become famous on it. Renoir is known as the author of a sentimental portrait, among his most outstanding works are "On the Terrace", "Walk", "Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary", "Lodge", "Alfred Sisley and His Wife", "On the Swing", "The Frog Room" and a lot others.

9. Edgar Degas

If you haven’t heard anything about Blue Dancers, Ballet Rehearsals, Ballet School and Absinthe, hurry up to learn more about the work of Edgar Degas. The selection of original colors, unique themes for paintings, a sense of the movement of the picture - all this and much more made Degas one of the most famous artists the world.

10. Edouard Manet

Do not confuse Manet with Monet - these are two different people working at the same time and in the same artistic direction... Manet has always been attracted by scenes of an everyday nature, unusual appearances and types, as if accidentally "caught" moments, subsequently captured for centuries. Among famous paintings Manet: Olympia, Breakfast on the Grass, Bar at the Folies Bergère, The Flutist, Nana and others.

If you have the slightest opportunity to see the paintings of these masters live, you will forever fall in love with impressionism!

Alexandra Skripkina,