Contextualization
Impressionism, an artistic revolution that emerged in France in the second half of the 19th century, represents a major shift in the way artists perceived and depicted the world around them. The Impressionists, such as Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, and Degas, broke away from the prevailing academic conventions, choosing instead to portray the transient and immediate appearance of things. Their innovative techniques, such as the use of bright, pure colours, loose brushstrokes, and the capturing of fleeting effects of light and colour, fundamentally transformed painting.
They were named after a derogatory term used based on Monet’s work “Impression, Sunrise”. Critics didn’t understand the bold and new paintings and reacted with mockery. But with time, what was meant to be an insult became the name of one of the most important art movements.
In the visual arts, Impressionism holds immense significance as it marks the beginning of contemporary art. Before it, art was bounded by the rules of the academy, such as historical, mythological paintings, and portraits of noble people. Impressionism broke from this tradition, bringing scenes from daily life to the canvas, and experimenting with new techniques.
Activity
Activity Title: Impressionist Landscapes
Project Aim
To apply the concepts and techniques of Impressionism to create an original piece of artwork, bringing their interpretation of this movement to life. In addition, to contextualize the work within a specific historical and socio-cultural setting.
Detailed Project Description
Students will form into groups of 3 to 5 and will be challenged to portray a scene from modern everyday life through the lens of Impressionism. They will select a setting and depict it using the techniques employed by the Impressionist painters. Each group will be responsible for thoroughly researching the movement, selecting a relevant setting, creating an artwork, and finally writing a detailed report about the process.
Required Materials
- Canvas
- Acrylic or oil paints
- Paintbrushes
- Palette
- Paper and pencil (for initial sketching of the artwork)
- Camera or mobile phone (for documentation of the process)
- Computer with internet access (for research and writing of the report)
Step-by-Step
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Research: Each group should do a deep dive into researching the Impressionist movement. Use the study resources mentioned in the contextualization section as a starting point. Understand the techniques, themes, and styles used by the artists of this movement. Do a detailed analysis of a few significant artworks and discuss what makes them Impressionistic.
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Choosing the Setting and Preparation: Based on your research, select an everyday, modern setting to paint. Think of a place that is familiar yet captivating. Sketch it out on paper first to get an idea of how you will depict it on your canvas. Document the sketching process with photographs to include in your report later.
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Creating the Artwork: Transfer your sketch onto the canvas and begin painting, employing the techniques of the Impressionist painters. Remember, Impressionism is not about minute details, but about capturing the light, colour, and overall impression of the scene.
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Documentation: Throughout the creation process, document the progress of your work. Take photographs at different stages of completion to show the evolution of your painting. These will be included in your report.
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Report: After the painting is complete, the group should prepare a detailed written report, divided into four sections: Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Bibliography. The report should be between 2000-3000 words and, in addition to the required content for each section, should include the rationale behind the choice of setting, outline the process of creating the artwork, challenges faced and the decisions made by the group to overcome them.
The photographs documenting the creation process should be included in the “Development” section of the report, along with an analysis of how the painting created captures the key elements of Impressionism. Furthermore, the report should connect the work done to contemporary reality, discussing how and why Impressionism is still relevant today.
Submission
The final submission for this project consists of both the artwork created by the group and the written report. The report should demonstrate cohesion, good writing, and should be well-researched, with proper referencing. The discussions and debates that occurred during the conception of the project should be reflected in the report, allowing for better evaluation of each team member’s involvement and contribution.
The artwork created should be a clear representation of the concepts of Impressionism and demonstrate the group’s ability to apply theoretical knowledge into a practical project. Both components (the artwork and the report) are complementary. The written report contextualizes the artwork and conversely, the artwork is evidence of the knowledge acquired through research, demonstrated in the report.
