Student Example, 2012
Fantastic Writing, flawed citation… The following student example showcases some amazing overall writing
skills. However, this particular student has some issues when it comes to citation, the skill we’ve been working
on.
-In your group, read through the essay aloud.
-Discuss and answer the questions at the end.
-Then, read through again. Highlight and fix the errors in citation. [So, every time you see a quote or something
cited, pay attention to what might be missing/wrong.]
By capturing the impression left on the artist by a scene instead of replicating the image precisely before
them, along with applying innovative brush stroke techniques and color usage, the Impressionist painters of the
late 19th century formed a revolutionary style of art that would alter not only how art was created, but how
society regarded it.
To fully understand the changes brought about by the Impressionist movement, one must understand the
prior traditions and history that the artists had been trained with. The Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and
Realism art periods had a commonality of subjects and styles. Subjects were purely people of wealth and status,
or of dramatic biblical scenes. Dark tones were utilized by most artists of the style periods, with very little light
being used in the compositions. When light was present, it was extremely dramatic, usually forming a direct
emphasis on a subject. Instead of capturing the essence of a scene, the classical painters were set on creating the
most accurate depiction of what was before them. Using deliberate brush strokes, painters were able to
accurately capture the scenes with innate details. Critics provided harsh feedback on the new style of art, which
rebelled against centuries of tradition. French critic Louis Leroy was quoted as saying, “A preliminary drawing
for a wallpaper pattern is more highly finished than this seascape (impressionism info.org)." after viewing
Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise”.
These harsh standards were carried through to the “Salon,” the French art establishment. Anyone who
wished to pursue a serious career in art had to be accepted into it, and members wore the membership as a sort
of badge of honor. John Crowther explains, “the Academie des Beaux Arts with its annual juried exhibit, the
salon, established the standard for artists. The accepted style was Neo- Classical, as exemplified by the artist
Jean Jacques David.” But even more regulated was the subject matter. “Subject matter was to be based
primarily on historical events, mythology, and religion. Man was to be presented as an ideal, nature was to be
celebrated and romanticized. It was realistic, but not realism as we see it and experience in our everyday lives.
Rather it was realism as imagined through the prism of a quest for classical perfection (Crowther).”
In contrast, the Impressionistic painters chose much simpler subject material. Instead of dramatic
biblical scenes or imposing portraits of aristocrats, they put a stronger emphasis on reality instead of what was
beyond what they could experience. “Unlike conservative painters who focused on portraying dramatic, often
historical scenes of idealized beauty and moral or religious meaning, the Impressionists chose ordinary scenes
from everyday life as the subject matter of their work.” For the first time, ordinary people were captured during
everyday life. Scenes of cafes, streets, and chores were found in multiple paintings throughout this era, tracing
the daily life of common people. “They saw the beauty of the world as a gift and the forces of nature as aids to
human progress (Preble).” Nature scenes were painted often, but again, instead of capturing the exact image, the
essence of the world around them was created. Pierre-Auguste Renoir once said, "if the painter works directly
from nature, he ultimately looks for nothing but momentary effects; he does not try to compose, and soon he
gets monotonous.” But perhaps the most socially disturbing were the nude scenes. Previously, nudes were used
in biblical scenes to convey a certain idea. But the Impressionist painters used these images in a completely new
way. Nude women could be seen conversing with men at a garden party, or dancing around a ball room. This
point blank rebellion caused a stir within the art world of the Salon, or the French art institution.
A second distinctive quality of the era was that the Impressionists left much to the audiences
imagination. Using quick, broken, brushstrokes, lines blended together, leaving a blurred image. The
Impressionists were fixated on creating a sense of movement, such as what can be caught through a moving
camera lens. “In their attempts to capture a given moment, they omitted detail in favor of the overall effect of
the painting (impressionism info.com).” Softened lines and blended edges created a dreamlike picture. In some
cases, the compositions became so blurred that it became impossible for the viewers to understand what the
subject before them was. “In turning away from the fine finish and detail to which most artists of their day
aspired, the Impressionists aimed to capture the immediate effect of a scene - the impression it made on the eye
in a fleeting instant (Justin Wolf).” One of the most renowned Impressionist painters, Claude Monet was known
especially for his blurred lines through using a wet-on-wet technique. “He did not wait for paint to dry before
applying successive layers, and this 'wet on wet' technique produced softer edges and blurred boundaries which
merely suggested a three-dimensional plane, rather than depicting it realistically (Justin Wolf).”
Color usage is the final distinctive quality of the Impressionist era. Edouard Manet was once quoted as
saying "there are no lines in nature, only areas of color, one against another." Bright colors were utilized in
every aspect, from direct subject material to the shadows that resulted from it. Splashes of color were used in
place of whites, blacks, and greys when dealing with light and dark. Margaret Samu explains, “the nineteenth
century saw the development of synthetic pigments for artists' paints, providing vibrant shades of blue, green,
and yellow that painters had never used before.” Along with the newly developed materials, independent artists
were choosing to forgo the traditional golden varnish that usually muted the finished product. Because of the
varnish not being used, colors remained vibrant and bright.
All of these factors contributed to modern art, as we know it today. Without these innovative men and
women, the world would have radically different and much stricter views on what constitutes the term “art.”
Opening doors to new subject material and styles, the art world was broadened by a group of strong
personalities and creative minds.
Works Cited
"The Beginning of Impressionist Art..." Oil Painting Reproductions of Impressionist Masterpieces.
Impressionist Art Gallery, 2004. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. <http://www.impressionist-artgallery.com/impressionist_art.html>.
Crowther, John. "Article - Impressionism." Artist Perspectives. Artist Perspectives, 2005. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.artist-perspectives.com/articles/impressionism.htm>.
"History of Art:The Impressionism - Camille Pissarro." History of Art. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.allart.org/history480.html>.
"Impressionist Art Movement Information about Impressionism Paintings - Still Life Landscapes Nature Paris."
French Impressionism Art Posters Prints Museums Art Books Calendars Impressionist Artists Claude
Monet Edgas Degas Manet Cezanne Renoir. Impressionism.info, 2005. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.impressionism.info/info.html>.
Wolf, Justin. "The Art Story: Impressionism Movement." The Art Story: Modern Art Movements, Artists, Ideas
and Topics. The Art Story Foundation, 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.theartstory.org/movement-impressionism.htm>.
"Impressionism." Error. Lynn University Art Appreciation. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/painting/modernity/impression/impression.htm>.
Samu, Margaret. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Impressionism: Art and Modernity. Met Museum, 2004. Web.
02 Apr. 2012. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm>.
Weinberg, Barbara H. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. American Impressionism. Met Museum. Web. 05 Apr.
2012. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aimp/hd_aimp.htm>.
Pool, Phoebe. Impressionism. New York: Praeger, 1967. Print.
Brettell, Richard R. Modern Art, 1851-1929: Capitalism and Representation. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.
Questions to respond to:
What did this student do right in her introduction?
What did this student do right as far as organization of her writing?
Do you feel that the balance between the student’s own voice and her information is good? Does it sway to one
side or the other? Explain your answer.
How does this student make her research essay into a focused message, rather than just random information?
What is her message?
What do you think this student’s inquiry question might have been?
Now, fix her citations! 