# Impressionism

In Paris in the 1860s, a group of artists who didn´t submit to the strict official standards of the Academy were rejected from the Salon because of their modern style with unfinished appearance in non-idealized scenes. Their new style was called Impressionism. Although the term was initially coined in a sarcastic sense by a critic, it was quickly accepted by the public and the artists themselves.

|  |  | QUICKLY WORK IN OPEN AIR (en plain air) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | FOCUSING ON LIGHT AND ITS EFFECTS |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | SCENES OF EVERYDAY LIFE |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | PURE INTENSE COLOURS AND NOT DARK BACKGROUNDS |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | SMALL VISIBLE BRUSH STROKES |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | PAINTINGS LOOK LIKE SKETCHES |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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# Independent artist

Read more about the origin of the group and try to answer the question below.

- As they were rejected from the official Salon, how did they organize their exhibitions ?

# Feedback

The artist called themselves the Société Anonyme des Artist and held a first exhibition in Abril 1874 at the studio of the photographer Nadar. This was the beginning of eight exhibitions from 1874 to 1886.

Impressionist artists loved to paint modern Paris, its wide boulevards, the great buildings and gardens, and also the scenes of leisure in the urban life: cafes, cabarets, opera, dances...They depicted the joy for life of middle-classes in sparking colours.

But the accessibility of public spaces was not the same for men and women. Meanwhile the figure of the flâneur exemplified men´s connection to the public sphere, and male artists frequented cafes, cafe-concerts, cabarets and dance halls that they used to paint, women were not free in the same way, unless they wanted to risk their reputation. Bourgeois women could leave their domestic sphere in select public spaces and appropriately accompanied.

One of these suitable places for women to attend was the Opera.

- In the Loge, 1878, is one of Mary Cassatt´s most interesting paintings. It shows the importance of seeing and being seen in that class society with a division between male and female spheres.
- Mary Cassatt was one of the most famous Impressionist artists. She was born in The United States, but she lived much of her life in France.

the man of leisure who strolls throughout the city observing the world

# Now it's your turn

# Question

Why can we say that the woman is sandwiched between two gazes?

# Answers

Option 1

because she is being observed by a man and a women

Option 2

because she is between our gaze and the man´s gaze

# Feedback

Wrong

Correct Option

# Solution

1. Wrong (Feedback)
2. Correct Option (Feedback)

# Question

Why is the Opera thought to be an important place for Mary Cassatt?

# Answers

Option 1

because it´s a social place that she could attend to observe people for her paintings

Option 2

because it´s a social place that she could attend to be observed by other people

# Feedback

Correct Option

Wrong

# Solution

1. Correct Option (Feedback)
2. Wrong (Feedback)

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# Try to answer the next questions

Give 5 characteristics of Impressionist painting. In which theme of painting was Mary Cassatt celebrated as a great specialist? Which oriental prints did she admire (the same as the rest of the group)? In which way did photography influence Impressionist artists? |

# Feedback

1. bright colours, scenes of everyday people doing everyday things, painting en plain air, not dark backgrounds, loose brush strokes.
2. mother and children
3. Japanesse woodblock prints
4. framing paintings like a snapshot

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