Impressionism

Claude Monet (1840-1926) painted “Grainstacks: End of Summer” in 1891 using oil paints.

Monet used skills of painting with pure colour to capture an exact moment of the day. He discovered that the same objects in different light have a different mood. He often painted the same scene at different times of the day, each time using different colour themes. Monet dabbed the paint on in short strokes of strong colour. He has used oil paint and you can just make out the texture of the paint because he has layered the pigment on in thick textured marks. He accentuates the colours of the sky by using the idea of silhouette and places the stacks against the light.

 

  I like this image as it gives a calm, happy feeling by conjuring memories of summer evenings in the countryside. I think the soft pinks and blues in the shadows give the painting more depth, while the darker blues and greens in the shadows help create a more summer-like atmosphere within the painting. The pale blues, greens and yellows in the sky also have this effect. I also think that the lighting on the hills, trees and grainstacks gives a more life-like impression to the image. However, this lighting also gives the impression that the image is slightly out of focus, giving it a soporific atmosphere.

  

Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) painted “Paris Street, Rainy Day” in 1877 using oil paints.

Caillebotte was a French painter, member and patron of the group of artists known as Impressionists, though he painted in a much more realistic manner than many other artists in the group. He was noted for his early interest in photography as an art form.

Due to the inheritance from his parents, Caillebotte could afford to paint without the pressure to sell his work. It also allowed him to help fund Impressionist exhibitions and support his fellow artists and friends (including Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro among others) by purchasing their works and, at least in the case of Monet, paying the rent for their studios.

 I like the style of this image – the tall buildings; the light reflecting off the wet umbrellas which draws your eye to the umbrellas; there is a sense of calm even though the number of people on the street suggests they are busy with getting on with everyday life despite the rain. The expressions on the faces of the front two people portray a feeling of being fed up of yet another day of rain.

I think the shadows and dark coloured reflections on the ground emphasise the rainy day element of the painting. There also seem to be small puddles forming between the cobbles, showing that it has been raining for some time, resulting in the cobles being more prominent within the painting.

I think the exaggerated perspective is meant to emphasise the sheer size of Paris streets. I also think that the people on the street look busier because they are more spaced out than one would expect which makes it easy to imagine that in just a moment, everyone in the painting will have moved and nothing will be the same.