Art History: Impressionist Painters: Monet and Renoir (Plus the Others)

A brief introduction to artists who made a lasting impression.

A brief introduction to artists who made such a lasting impression, reproductions of their original works adorn many homes and offices. The letter “i” stands for “I’m impressed.”

“The term 'impressionism’ was first used in 1874, and its initial usage was not very complimentary. A critic was making a sarcastic remark about one of Monet’s landscape paintings. Not allowing an unfavorable judgment to cramp his style, Claude Monet (1840–1926), working with Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), developed the technique of broken-color painting. These two artists are recognized as the founders of the art form known as Impressionism.”

Others who were also part of the group known as Impressionist painters include Édouard Manet (1832–1883), Camille Pissarro (1831–1903), Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), and Edgar Hilaire Germain Degas (1834–1917).

Monet and Renoir (Plus The Others)

An art aficionado, I am not. But like most people, my attention can easily be captured by an impressive painting. The artwork of Claude Monet has always impressed me. However, it appears that Monsieur Monet had to work arduously to develop a…