The warmth and lightness of Impressionism
Impressionist paintings play with colours, light and fleeting moments. The works by our SKM artists appear spontaneous yet are full of depth. In Impressionist paintings, everyday scenes, nature or people are transformed into vibrant plays of colour. They radiate warmth, movement and lightness – qualities you can bring into your own home by purchasing a work of art.
Impressionist paintings: when art becomes emotion
An ‘impression’ is always something subjective, shaped by one’s own experiences, emotions and ideas. Impressionism broke with convention and opened up space for individuality, sensuality and spontaneous perception. At the heart of Impressionist paintings were no longer perfect compositions or historical scenes, but the moment as it was experienced. Light, colour and movement merged to create an emotional overall impression.
At Studierenden Kunstmarkt, you’ll find original Impressionist artworks to suit all tastes. Browse through the Impressionist art by our young artists here and discover your new favourite piece for your home, practice or office.
The emergence of a new visual language
Characteristics of Impressionism
Famous Impressionist works
Contemporary Impressionism
Impressionism lives on in the 21st centurytoo
– in the works of contemporary artists who consciously draw on the tradition of this movement. Painters take up typical motifs and techniques of classical Impressionism and transpose them into the present day. Their Impressionist paintings depict everyday, often tranquil scenes full of atmosphere: a person in the garden, a walk against the light, life by the water. Particularly striking is the interplay of light, colour and mood, which enables the viewer to immerse themselves emotionally in the moment and experience what is depicted in an almost sensory way.FAQs
Impressionism is a 19th-century art movement characterised by its openness to new perspectives on the world. The focus is no longer on the accurate depiction of reality, but on the personal experience of a moment. The artists sought to capture the fleeting, the spontaneous and the emotional – often through vibrant patches of colour and a loose painting style. This approach was revolutionary at the time and marked a break with the academic artistic tradition.
The term ‘Impressionism’ is derived from the French word ‘impression’ (impression) and was initially used derisively – following Claude Monet’s painting *Impression, soleil levant*. It describes an art movement that focuses on subjective impressions rather than depicting objective reality. The aim was to capture the light, the atmosphere and the mood of a moment. Later, the term became the established name for one of the most influential movements in art history.
Impressionism emerged in Paris in the early 1860s as a reaction against traditional academic art. Young artists began to focus on the interplay of light, colour and movement. The first joint exhibition of Impressionist paintings took place in 1874. This laid the foundations for a new art movement.
Typical features of Impressionism include bright, clear colours, rapid brushstrokes and an open, sketch-like style of painting. The artists sought to capture the moment – particularly the way light and atmosphere affect landscapes, people or city scenes. They often painted outdoors to record their impressions immediately. Realistic details took a back seat in favour of atmosphere and movement.
The main phase of Impressionism spanned roughly from 1860 to 1900. The movement first developed in France, primarily through painters such as Monet, Renoir and Degas. The first exhibitions, which are regarded as milestones, took place in the 1870s. Later, the style spread to other countries as well.