The Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Art Movement

The defining brush strokes of Impressionism & Post-Impressionism are noticeable to the trained eye. Explore the difference between the two art styles here.

Impressionist Art

Impressionist art dates back to the 19th Century, created by Paris-based artists. Paintings in this genre are clearly distinctable due to the brush strokes which are thin and small. However, each brush stroke is visible and adds to the overall feel of the painting. Impressionist art depicts subjects that are come across every day, in a delicate manner, allowing the viewer to enter a familiar world through the brush strokes.

The techniques used in Impressionism:

• Impasto entails layers of paint with visible brush strokes. Multi-dimensions are visible after the paint dries.

• Colors are smeared together, yet only slightly mixed. This allows the colors chosen to contrast.

• Black paint is not typically used. Instead shades of grey and dimmer tones are derived by using complimentary colors.

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Post-Impressionist Art

Post-Impressionism is deemed a French-art movement, where Fauvism was born. The most prevalent artists of Post-Impressionism include: Paul Cézanne, Paul Gaughin, Vincent Van Gogh & Georges Seurat.

These famed artists shared their general dissatisfaction with the way Impressionist painters depicted everyday life. Each artist's style used a different painting technique, from small dots to more blurred depictions of every day life.