IMPRESSIONISM

Impressionism started in the mid 1800's in France. Given the different approach to painting, the Impressionists where not popular because at that time painters still worked very traditionally; that involved hours of detailed work on a painting in a studio. These impressionistic paintings where very often painted outdoors because the artists wanted to show the immediate effect of the light and colour that a person or landscape had at a particular time of the day.  These kind of works where often described as 'captured moments', which up close look messy and unreal, but at a distance, the short, quick brush strokes are automatically blended together by one's eyes to see the painter's subject.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a French painter, created around 6,000 pieces of artwork over the 60 years of his artistic profession as a painter. An apartment in the Louvre where Renoir lived in when he was four years old after having moved there with his family, is now a great art museum. He decided to take up painting as a profession when he was at the age of 13. He later went on to meet other artists such as Degas and Manet and became one of the very first impressionists. He had light, lively work that showed people socializing and enjoying life in the days lived in Paris.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1881.

Edgar Degas - Blue Dancers, c.1899.

Edouard Manet - Girl In The Garden At Bellevue.

Claude Monet - Impression Sunrise.

References:

http://www.claudemonetgallery.org/Impression--Sunrise.html
http://www.manetedouard.org/Girl-In-The-Garden-At-Bellevue.html
Renoir - French Artist (1841 - 1919). 2013. Renoir - French Artist (1841 - 1919). [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.theartgallery.com.au/kidsart/learn/renoir/. [Accessed 15 May 2013].