Masterpieces of Impressionism

One and a half centuries ago, a group of unknown French artists made a truly revolutionary breakthrough in art. The innovation and ideas of this movement completely changed the artistic perception of art in the 19th and 20th centuries. The main goal of the Impressionists was to convey an impression – a feeling, and for this, they needed to learn to catch the moment to capture the real world in all its variability. It was impossible to achieve such an effect inside the studio, so the artists went "into the world" – to paint en plein air, where they quickly sketched, trying to grasp the natural lighting and emotional nerve of the moment. Impressionists did not aspire to reflect sharp social problems, philosophy, or shock in their work, focusing only on various ways of expressing the impressions of everyday surroundings. They did not insist on deep content in a painting, aiming to "see the moment" and reflect the mood. They did not seek contrived complexity, remaining alien to any vulgar simplification or cliché sentimental banality. Impressionism did not claim elitism, special refined aristocratic quality, psychological depth, or symbolic subtext; it looked at the world with the unclouded eyes of a curious child. This beautifully illustrated book, written by historian and art expert Alexandra Zhukova, who teaches art history, will help you find answers to the following questions: • Are the Impressionists a group of artists or a style? • What attracts us so much to the paintings of these masters? • Does Impressionism belong to history or does it still exist? • What subjects did the Impressionists choose and why? • How to decipher the language of Impressionism? About the author: Alexandra Vasilievna Zhukova is a historian and art expert, graduated from the History Department of Saratov University. She works at the Radishchev Art Museum and teaches specialized courses on art history at the university.