When Impressionism Was a Dirty Word

In this activity, you will:

• read about an artistic movement that became popular in the late 19th century
• evaluate changing definitions of what is good art

• Under 30 mins

The title of this article is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that the art movement known as Impressionism was initially considered radical and was reviled in the art world of late-19th-century France. Read about the precursors and origins of Impressionism.

The Academic Tradition

By the 19th century, the art world in France had been controlled for more than 200 years by the powerful national art academy, the Royal Academy of Art. The academy, called the École des Beaux-Arts in French, was founded in 1648 for King Louis XIV. It was created to train talented students in drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Over time, the academy became very influential and controlled both artist training and the kinds of artwork that were exhibited in France. Students had to master basic drawing skills before moving on to figure drawing and painting. Artists also submitted their work to the annual Salon, a large exhibition judged by a jury. The highest awards usually went to artists who depicted historical subjects, while landscapes and still lifes were considered a less important subject matter.

The Barbizon School

In the mid 1800s, a group of painters now known as the Barbizon School, named after the forested region of France where they worked, began focusing on landscapes as their main subject. They painted outdoors, or en plein air, directly from nature instead of working only in a studio. Artists such as Théodore Rousseau painted scenes of forests, fields, and villages. Their work influenced many younger artists who later became known as the Impressionists. Because they chose everyday landscape subjects instead of historical scenes, painters like Rousseau often struggled to get their artwork accepted into the annual Salon. Being included in the Salon was very important because it helped artists build their reputation and succeed in the art world.

The Rise of Impressionism

By the 1860s, the divide between artists accepted by the Salon and artists experimenting with new styles of landscape painting had grown much larger. Many artists believed the annual Salon jury unfairly rejected artwork that did not follow traditional academic rules. In 1863, after many complaints about the number of rejections from the Salon, French Emperor Napoleon III created the first exhibition of the Salon des Refusés (“Salon of the Refused”). This exhibition displayed works that had been rejected by the official Salon jury. Many artists connected to the Impressionist movement exhibited their work there.

In 1874, a group of 30 artists decided to organize their own exhibition without government support or a jury. They named themselves the Société Anonyme des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, etc. (“Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc.”). The group included artists such as Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

It was around this time that the word “Impressionist” was first used by an art critic to describe one of Monet’s landscape paintings titled, Impression, Sunrise. The critic originally meant the term as an insult, suggesting that the painting looked unfinished. (If you zoom into the Renoir painting on the top of this page, you may think the same!) However, the artists soon adopted the name themselves, and by 1877, they were using “Impressionist” to describe both their free artistic style and their exhibitions.

Landscape scenes dominate in the work of the Impressionists, but these artists also painted scenes of city life and leisure activities. Their artwork often showed people boating, walking along rivers, or crossing bridges. The Impressionists were also influenced by imported Japanese prints, which inspired them to use more asymmetrical compositions and different viewpoints in their paintings.

Questions

Discuss or write your responses.

• The Royal Academy gave top awards to historical paintings and viewed landscapes as “less important.” Why was one subject considered more valuable than another? Who decides what counts as “good art”?
• The Barbizon School artists started painting outdoors instead of in studios. Why might painting outside while looking at real landscapes have been considered radical?
• When artists complained about Salon rejections, Napoleon III created the “Salon of the Refused” for the rejected work. Was this a good solution, or did it just separate “non-traditional” art? What would you have done?
• The term “Impressionist” started as an insult, but the artists adopted the name for themselves. Why embrace a negative term instead of rejecting it? Can you think of other examples where groups have reclaimed insults?
• Impressionism was once disliked, but is now loved and famous. What does this tell you about how opinions about art change over time? What popular art or music today might have been rejected 100 years ago?

A group of artists in 19th‑century France who worked in and around the village of Barbizon near the Forest of Fontainebleau. These artists often drew and painted outdoors (en plein air), focusing on real trees, fields, and everyday rural life rather than imaginary or dramatic scenes. Their careful study of nature helped inspire later art movements like Impressionism.

A French term meaning painting outdoors in natural light instead of in a studio.

In late 19th-century France, some artists painted pictures that look like they were quickly sketched, using lots of small dots and strokes of color to create scenes that capture feelings and moments, like the way sunlight looks on water or the colors of a garden.