impressionism

American  

[im-presh-uh-niz-uhm] / ɪmˈprɛʃ əˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. Fine Arts.

   1. (usually initial capital letter) a style of painting developed in the last third of the 19th century, characterized chiefly by short brush strokes of bright colors in immediate juxtaposition to represent the effect of light on objects.

   2. a manner of painting in which the forms, colors, or tones of an object are lightly and rapidly indicated.

   3. a manner of sculpture in which volumes are partially modeled and surfaces roughened to reflect light unevenly.

2. a theory and practice in literature that emphasizes immediate aspects of objects or actions without attention to details.

3. a late-19th-century and early-20th-century style of musical composition in which lush harmonies, subtle rhythms, and unusual tonal colors are used to evoke moods and impressions.

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impressionism British  

/ ɪmˈprɛʃəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. (often capital) a movement in French painting, developed in the 1870s chiefly by Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley, having the aim of objectively recording experience by a system of fleeting impressions, esp of natural light effects

2. the technique in art, literature, or music of conveying experience by capturing fleeting impressions of reality or of mood

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impressionism Cultural  

1. A style of painting associated mainly with French artists of the late nineteenth century, such as Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Impressionist painting seeks to re-create the artist's or viewer's general impression of a scene. It is characterized by indistinct outlines and by small brushstrokes of different colors, which the eye blends at a distance. Soft, pastel colors appear frequently in impressionist paintings.

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Etymology

Origin of impressionism

1880–85; impression + -ism; compare German Impressionismus, French impressionnisme

Explanation

Impressionism is a style of art that uses light and color to capture a moment in time, rather than presenting a realistic image. Monet and Renoir were two masters of impressionism. You can think of impressionism as a technique, in which a painter creates an impression of an object or scene. It's also a major art movement that started in 19th-century France (the word is usually capitalized when referring to that movement). Rather than trying to create true-to-life images, the impressionists attempted to convey reality through gradations of light and generous use of color. In literature, impressionism has a similar meaning, referring to a literary style that does not represent reality realistically, but tries to evoke powerful emotional and sensory responses.

Example Sentences

Pissarro soon gave up on pointillism, noting its conflict with the richness and spontaneity of Impressionism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Renaissance artwork depicted the nuances of human anatomy and pathology with remarkable accuracy, while Impressionism, Cubism, and other artistic movements utilized the unique features of human vision and perception to achieve artistic impact.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2024

In the 1870s, what was at that point a radical art movement - Impressionism - aimed to capture 'the painting of the moment' by observing the fleeting effects of light and weather.

From BBC • May 23, 2023

In the parade of “The Fourteenth of July” — the only glimpse of daylight here — tossing and turning strokes of red, white and blue suggest a riled Impressionism.

From New York Times • May 11, 2023

But to understand Impressionism, you have to see the light, the brushstrokes, the unusual points of view, the suggestion of a boat, a bridge, water, sky, the use of light as a subject.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman