Impressionism has several distinct characteristics. One of the most prominent characteristics is the short and thick brush strokes they used. The artists aimed to show their subject matters' essence rather than a detailed and realistic record. The Impressionists focused on sunlight and how the appearance of an object changed throughout the day and year as the sunlight changed. Impressionists chose common subject matter, often shown from an uncommon angle. Their subjects include everyday objects such as a simple haystack or people doing everyday activities.
The Impressionist style was influenced by many factors. It was born, in part, as a reaction to criticism from an official salon, which rejected Edouard Manet's "The Luncheon on the Grass" partly because it featured a nude woman having lunch with two men. This outraged many members of the art community who then banded together to create their own group known as the "Impressionists" who exhibited their works at the "Salon of the Rejected." The artists followed Manet's lead and painted ordinary objects. Another major influence was the newly invented camera. Just like a camera, Impressionists aimed to capture a quick moment in time. But unlike the camera, the artists tried to show an impression of the object, rather than the detail. The Impressionist artists were also influenced by Japanese prints. They adopted the flat images and colors of the Japanese.
Impressionist artists included Pierre-Auguste Renoir who was known for his depictions of beautiful women and children and how their appearance was altered by sunlight and shadow. Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot were also known for their paintings of women doing everyday activities. Other great Impressionists were Camille Pissaro, Edgar Degas and Alfred Sisley.
One of the most important Impressionists pieces is Monet's painting " Impression, Sunrise." The painting inspired the critics to say that Monet was merely gaining the impression of the object thus developing the label of "Impressionism" for that style of art. Other important Impressionist paintings include Monet's many haystack pictures and Renoir's "The Luncheon of the Boating Party." The Impressionist painters influenced other art movements. Most notably influenced is the Post-Impressionist artists who emulated much of the styles. Among these later artists was Vincent van Gogh, who appreciated the Impressionists' attention to natural light.