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The Impressionists
'Reading' by Berthe Morisot is an Impressionist painting.

The Impressionists

Impressionist artists painted quick moments of light and colour. Learn how their brushwork and outdoor studies changed painting, then test your knowledge in the quiz below.

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Fascinating Fact:

The name came from Claude Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise, shown in 1874. A critic used the term to mock the style, and the name stuck.

In KS3 Art and Design, Impressionism is studied as a movement that aimed to capture the effect of light, weather, and movement in a scene. Instead of carefully blending every detail, Impressionist painters often used visible brushstrokes, bright colour choices, and everyday subjects to create a lively sense of “being there”.

  • Impressionism: An art movement that focused on capturing a momentary “impression”, especially light and atmosphere.
  • Plein air: Painting outdoors so the artist can observe real light and changing conditions.
  • Broken colour: Using small strokes of different colours side by side so they mix visually when viewed from a distance.
What is Impressionism in art for KS3?

Impressionism in KS3 art is a style where artists try to show the look and feeling of a moment, using colour and brushstrokes to capture light, atmosphere, and movement.

Why did Impressionist artists paint outdoors?

Impressionist artists painted outdoors to study natural light directly, because sunlight changes quickly and affects colour, shadows, and the overall mood of a scene.

What techniques did Impressionists use in their paintings?

Impressionists often used visible brushstrokes, lighter colour palettes, and quick marks. They also placed colours next to each other to create shimmer and energy.

Try this quiz to get an 'Impression' of how much you know about Impressionism!

Click on the pictures for a closer look.

1 .
Impressionism began in which city and in which century?
Rome in the 15th century
London in the 20th century
New York in the 18th century
Paris in the 19th century
A group of independent artists rejected the style and rules of the art of the day and developed their own style. This piece, by the artist Claude Monet, is entitled 'Haystacks, (Sunset)'
2 .
This is the painting which inspired the name of the movement. What is is called?
An impressive boat on the water
Impression, Sunrise
An impression of the Sun
My Impression
The painting, 'Impression Sunrise', is by Claude Monet and was shown at what would later be known as the "Exhibition of the Impressionists" in April 1874
3 .
The Impressionists found that they could capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight by painting in what environment?
A darkened room
A very brightly lit studio
Outside in the fresh air
Next to a similar painting
The term still used for this method today is 'En plein air'. This painting, by John Singer Sargent, shows the artist Monet painting by the edge of a wood
4 .
Why was this painting, 'Luncheon on the Grass' by Édouard Manet, aggressively rejected by the art jurors of the time?
There are too many subjects in the painting
The techniques used were too controversial
The colour palette is too limited
It did not follow the protocol for including nudes
While nudes were accepted in historical and allegorical paintings, Manet was condemned for placing a realistic nude in a contemporary setting
5 .
During the Impressionists' first exhibition, an art critic harshly stated that what was more complete than the work he'd seen?
Wallpaper
A newspaper
A child's sketch
A Christmas card
His full criticism read: 'I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it ... and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape'.
This painting is of St. Martin Canal in Paris and is by the British painter, Alfred Sisley, whose work was included in that first exhibition
6 .
Which of the following is not a technique employed by the Impressionists?
Applying short, thick strokes of paint quickly
Applying colours side-by-side with as little mixing as possible
Avoiding the use of black paint
Only using 4 colours in each work
These methods, along with others, had been used before but the Impressionists put them together for the first time. This piece, 'Terrace at Sainte-Adresse' by Monet, shows them all
7 .
Mary Cassatt, a female Impressionist, painted mainly which subject matter?
Golden objects
Women
Balls and dances
Trips to the theatre
She paid particular attention to the bond between a woman and her children. This painting is of her sister, Lydia
8 .
What is said to be wrong with this painting by Manet?
The colour choice
The use of realism
The setting
The perspective
The painting is called 'A Bar at the Folies-Bergère' and the use of perspective is still debated by critics today!
9 .
Edgar Degas favoured a particular subject. What was it?
Well-lit rooms
Violinists
Dancers
Large spaces
Degas is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers. This one is called 'Ballet Rehearsal'
10 .
Which period immediately followed Impressionism?
Post-Impressionism
Pre-Impressionism
Past-Impressionism
Pale-Impressionism
During the 1880s several artists began to develop different precepts for the use of colour, pattern, form, and line, derived from the Impressionist example. This piece is 'The Midday Nap' by the post-impressionist Paul Gauguin
Author:  Angela Smith (Primary School Teacher & KS1 Quiz Writer)

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