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Alexis Aviles
Professor Victoria Kingsley
English 101
November 18, 2013
Impression of the Sunrise
Today, different mediums portray artistic expression and one of the earliest mediums of
art is painting. Artists utilize different styles and techniques to craft paintings along with
different perspectives on what paintings should portray and how they should do so. The
“Impressionist” style of painting displays or establishes a mood through specific focal points of
an art piece. The techniques that comprise this style of painting include thin and short brush
strokes along with details catering to any of the viewers’ depth and light perception of the
painting. These two details aid the objective of establishing an observable mood within the
painting, which a person should easily infer from looking at an impressionist painting. The
French originator of this style has a great significance to the early history of this style of
painting. Impressionism is also an artistic movement which suffered great criticism before
reaching prominence in the 1870’s and 1880’s. This prominence of Impressionism is responsible
for the rise of other unique painting styles in France and other countries, which stray away from
the usual academic painting of the 19th century. Impressionism’s significance in the 19th century
is its following by Impressionist artists and the movement itself, which became so great that it
ultimately led to a shift in how paintings are crafted and portray focal points.
The painting “Impression, Sunrise”, by Claude Monet, is an oil painting created with a
unique technique and style to it. This new technique and style was first exhibited in France in
1874, by several artists including Monet. The painting “Impression, Sunrise” features substantial
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amounts of thin and short brush strokes that compose the entirety of the canvas. The painting
portrays the sky and a bay which are almost mirror images of each other. The sky and bay would
be mirror images of each other if it were not for the extensive use of the color yellow to represent
the sunrise in the sky and the colors green and blue to represent the bay. In the midst of a fog,
which is comprised of short strokes in the center of the painting, anchored ships can be seen with
a number of boats traveling away from the sunrise and fog. The sun and its reflection on the
water are the most distinct features of the painting as they contrast greatly with the bay, the sky,
the ships, and the boats. The majority of the painting is encompassed by blue, green, and pale
yellow painting oil strokes while the sun and its reflection feature bright orange strokes amidst
the small variety of colors.
This painting, “Impression, Sunrise”, is one of the earliest examples of Impressionism.
The reason for this being one of the earliest examples of Impressionism is that Claude Monet is
the French originator of the Impressionist style. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia supports
this with a bibliography of Monet and his involvement with Impressionism; “He adhered to its
principles throughout his long career and is considered the most consistently representative
painter of the school” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). Monet was heavily involved with the
Impressionist movement of the 19th century in France and used this art form through his
extensive career. The term Impressionism actually originated from “Impression, Sunrise” making
the painting previously described the earliest French Impressionist painting in history. This
painting is the epitome of Impressionism and if one were to seek the general idea of what this
style may look like, “Impression, Sunrise” is the prime example. Furthermore, this painting is a
representation of what someone would consider an acceptable and successful painting in the
1870’s and 80’s, due to Impressionism’s rise during this time span. “Impression, Sunrise” is a
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large part of the reason Impressionism gained popularity in the 1800’s and gave rise to other
painting styles. This painting by Claude Monet is the first of its kind and, because of it, Monet
was essentially the forefront of the Impressionist movement. Monet’s influence in the world of
art and advocating for the rise of Impressionism, through his paintings, ultimately led the shift
away from academic painting. Taking into consideration that this painting was the first of its
kind and the movement was unique, Impressionism suffered great criticism during its initial
appearance.
Originally, this painting was not thought of as a masterpiece. “Impression, Sunrise”
received several mixed reviews when exhibits would feature this painting. One critic, Louis
Leroy, did not think this style would ever prosper, and, according to the written work THE
FIRST IMPRESSIONIST EXHIBITION AND MONET'S IMPRESSION, SUNRISE: A TALE OF
TIMING, GOMMERGE AND PATRIOTISM, the critic “felt that the Impressionists' technique
and lack of finish was simply a mannerism that they would eventually be forced to abandon”
(Tucker, 469). Impressionism was considered an artistic movement, not abiding by the norm of
the time it came to be, which meant that not everyone was accustomed to this painting style and,
thus, faced much criticism. The “lack of finish” is simply a part of this painting style and it is a
“mannerism” that would Impressionists would never abandon. The significance of “Impression,
Sunrise” lies in its history and all the skepticism and critique it endured in the test of time. The
mixed appeal of the painting is representative of how anything that is not considered normal is
received as. unacceptable or odd. This mixed appeal only fueled other artists to express
themselves in different, non-traditional ways, as Monet did.
Impressionism left a lasting impact on the artistic culture in France. Impressionism is
what gave rise to other painting styles consisting of Neo-Impressionism and Post-Impressionism,
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to name a few. The impact of Impressionism was able to span further than just France, it also
reached North America. The art style of the original French Impressionists was utilized by
American artists and these artists made additions upon the style in order to craft it into styles
which are truly unique. One artist, Philip Guston, was able to combine the prominent Abstract
Expressionist style with the Impressionist style and from it formed Abstract Impressionism.
Initially, Guston was attempting to paint with the Abstract Expressionist style in mind, however,
his way of painting had unique features; “His way of laying down paint was not fluid and urgent,
like Pollock. It was not slashed and brushy, like de Kooning, or sweeping and calligraphic, like
Kline. It did not float translucently, like Rothko. Guston's strokes fell like short, clustered dabs of
pigment into nests and networks of closely harmonized hues, which resembled passages in
Impressionist landscapes. The question was even raised whether it was expressionist at all-whether Guston had not originated instead a form of Abstract Impressionism” (Danto, 29).
Guston utilized distinct features of different art styles and, from it, was able to construct a new
style of his own. This artist is a prime example of Impressionism playing a role in new art styles
forming. Although, the term Abstract Impressionism was not officially coined by Guston, this is
an art style which did become official in the 1950’s. Impressionism is not the sole originator of
all the new art styles seen and heard of in today’s society, however it did play a major role in the
creation of them.
Impressionism was a driving force for change in France in the 19th century. Its
originator, Claude Monet, was at the forefront of this change along with his friends, and fellow
artists, who actively displayed and exhibited how successful this art style could be. Although this
art style faced criticism at first, it was simply a new and innovative way of painting which critics
eventually found value in. The lack of finish and short brush strokes are the reason for these
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primary harsh judgments, however, the beautiful and vivid portrayal of landscapes and humans
overshadowed the vexations of critics. Artists integrated Impressionism into their individual art
styles and, from it, more art styles were born. Impressionism is a significant part of the reason for
France experiencing a change in the usual techniques of painting, and the creation of new styles
far and wide.