Impressionism and PostImpressionism: What’s
the Difference?
BY: MICHELLE CURTIN
Audience
 This lesson is intended for a high school introductory
painting class.
 The general location would be a high school in the middle
class suburbs that has computer access.
Environment
 This lesson is intended to be completed after class as an
individual at home assignment
 Students may work in a school computer lab during study
hall or after school to complete the assignment
Objective 1: Impressionism
 Students will be able to identify the main characteristics of
Impressionist art by reviewing slides with compare and
contrast information and then completing a quiz where
they identify a paintings as either Impressionist or PostImpressionist with 100% accuracy.
Objective 2: PostImpressionism
 Students will be able to identify the main characteristics of
Post-Impressionist art by reviewing slides with compare and
contrast information and then completing a quiz where
they identify a paintings as either Impressionist or PostImpressionist with 100% accuracy.
Impressionism and PostImpressionism: So What’s
the Difference?
Table of Contents
This is the home page! Click the house button on the
bottom of the slides to return here and jump to a section:
Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
Compare/Contrast
Quiz
Impressionism
QUI
Z
Impressionism: an
Introduction
Impressionism was a nineteenth century art movement of
Parisian artists. The name comes from Claude Monet’s
piece “Impression Sunrise”.
QUI
Z
Impressionist Characteristics
 Small, thin, visible brush strokes
 Open composition
 Accurate depiction of light
 Ordinary subject matter
 Movement
 Painting “en plein air” or “in the open air”
QUI
Z
The Main Impressionists
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Frederic Bazille
Gustave Caillebotte
Mary Cassatt
Paul Cezanne
Edgar Degas
Armand Guillaumin
Edouard Manet
Claude Monet
Berthe Morisot
Camille Pissarro
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Alfred Sisley
QUI
Z
Edouard Manet’s “Café
Concert”
Note the ordinary subject matter and the visible brushstrokes that create realistic
light effects.
QUI
Z
Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “The
Two Sisters on the Terrace”
Note the visible brushstrokes, open composition, and en plein air
approach.
QUI
Z
Claude Monet’s “Impression”
Note the small, thin brushstrokes, the open composition, and the movement in
the piece.
QUI
Z
Post-Impressionism
QUI
Z
Post-Impressionism: an
Introduction
Post Impressionism describes the progression of French art
since Manet. Post-Impressionists extended Impressionism
while rejecting it’s limitations.
QUI
Z
Post-Impressionist
Characteristics
 Vivid colors
 Thick paint application
 Visible brush strokes
 Real-life subjects
 Geometric forms
 Distortion
 Unnatural or arbitrary color
QUI
Z
The Main PostImpressionists
 Henri Rousseau
 Paul Gaugin
 Vincent Van Gogh
 Georges Seurat
 Toulouse Lautrec
 Emile Bernard
 Odilon Redon
QUI
Z
Vincent Van Gogh’s “Bedroom in
Arles”
Note the colors, brush strokes, geometric forms, and distortion.
QUI
Z
Henri de Toulouse Lautrec’s
“Equestrienne at the Cirque Fernando”
Note the brushstrokes, geometric forms, and distortion.
QUI
Z
Paul Gauguin’s “Midday Nap”
Note the unnatural colors, thick paint application, real life subject matter,
geometric forms, and distortion.
QUI
Z
Compare and Contrast
-open composition
-accurate light
-ordinary subjects
-movement
-”en plein air”
-small visible
brush strokes
-ordinary subject
matter
-vivid colors
-thick paint
application
-geometric forms
-distortion
-unnatural color
QUI
Z
QUIZ
If you feel ready, you can take the quiz! If not, go back and
review!
Question 1
Is this painting…
A
B
Impressionist
Post-Impressionist
a. Impressionist
No, Try again!
Hint: Think about the abstract brushstrokes.
b. Post-Impressionist
Correct!
Question 2
This movement involved something called “en plein air”.
This movement is…
A
B
Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
a. Impressionism
Correct!
Now what does “en plein air” mean?
A
B
C
In the open air
Painting outdoors
Both a & b
b. Post-Impressionism
Sorry, try again!
a. In the open air
Almost! Try again!
b. Painting outdoors
Halfway there! Try again!
c. Both a and b
Correct!
Question 3
This painting is an example
of…
A
Open Composition
B
Linear Perspective
C
Surrealism
a. Open Composition
Correct!
b. Linear Perspective
Sorry, this painting demonstrates more of an atmospheric
perspective than a linear perspective.
c. Surrealism
Sorry, this is an Impressionist painting, not Surrealist.
Question 4
The attribute that is not in both Impressionism and PostImpressionism is…
A
Visible brushstrokes
B
Real-life subject matter
C
Geometric forms
a. Visible Brush Strokes
No, try again.
b. Real-life Subject Matter
No, sorry.
c. Geometric Forms
Correct! This is only found in Post-Impressionism.
Question 5
This painting is…
A
Impressionist
B
Post-Impressionist
a. Impressionist
Correct!
b. Post-Impressionist
Sorry, try again.
You have Completed the Quiz!
Congratulations! You have now mastered the basics of
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painting.