DISCUSSION FORUM UNIT 6

I totally agree with this statement, because it is known that the great wave of modernization that
was taking place generally, created the conditions that then inspired this modern art style
(Sotheby’s, n.d.). Impressionism is a style of art that developed in the mid-to-late 19 th century in
France. This art style is more characterized by its small and yet visible brushstrokes, which offer
the bare impression form. The natural light in these paintings is illustrated with unblended color
(Sotheby’s, n.d.). Looking at Realism in comparison to Impressionism, it is believed that
Realism emerged in France in the 1840s during the industrial revolution. This resulted from
famous Realistic artists like Gustave Courbet and others rejecting Romanticism since it had
dominated French art and literature since the early 19th century. It is believed that it all started
with Courbet after his canvas, ‘The Studio’, made between 1854- 1855, was rejected by
Exposition Universelle in 1855, forcing him to display the piece and other following paintings
under the Realism G label, thus beginning the Realism movement. The Realism paintings mainly
aimed to interpret the actual aspects of life, and were made to be free from prejudice, romantic
colors, idealism, or subjectivity (Art in Context, n.d.). In The Stone Breakers, Courbet shows two
peasants who appeared to be breaking rocks. This was a portrayal of the everyday struggles that
people go through. By showing the workers’ backs, his painting doesn’t focus on the image of
the workers to draw more attention, but on the work being done with its struggles.
The Stone Breakers (1849) by Gustave Courbet; Gustave Courbet, Public domain, via
Wikimedia Commons

On the other hand, Impressionism was created by a number of artists like Claude Monet,
commonly referred to as the father of modern art, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, and many
others with a desire to cast off the strict rules of the then academic-style paints. Much as
Impressionism has strong roots in the Realism traditions, which marked the beginning of modern
art, the first true modern art is seen in Impressionism, which was uniquely produced using new
concepts, techniques, and ideas way different from the other art styles like Classical and
Romantic art to show modern art like it was the case with Realism (Gersh-Nesic, n.d.). An
example of this type of painting is Claude Monet’s painting from 1890, below, done out in the
fields with stacks of hay, part of a series of 25 paintings by Meules where he aimed to showcase
reality and analyze the ever-changing nature of light and color due to atmospheric conditions.
Impressionists always painted outdoors to mainly capture the appearance of light as it glimmered
and faded during their work (Gersh-Nesic, n.d.).
Claude Monet 'Meules' Painting

Word Count: 449

REFERENCE
Sotheby. (n.d.). Impressionism. Retrieved from
https://www.sothebys.com/en/art-movements/impressionism

Gersh-Nesic, B. (n.d.). A beginner’s guide to Impressionism. Khan Academy.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/avant-garde-france/
impressionism/a/a-beginners-guide-to-impressionism

Art in Context, (n.d.). Realism Paintings and Artists – The Artworks of Famous Realist Painters
Retrieved from
https://artincontext.org/realism-paintings-and-artists/