Impressionist art is one of the major draws in the museums of Paris, attracting millions of tourists every year to look at Monet's haystacks or Cezanne's geometric mountains. Original works are part of the collection of the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. The look and attitude of Impressionism has become synonymous for many people with a journey to France.
Any bookshop, particularly as Christmas approaches, is well-stocked with calendars and posters sporting the light greens and blues of Impressionist skies, fields and landscapes. In addition to calendars, there are hundreds of art books detailing the work and lives of the Impressionists. This level of popular interest is ironic, given that the Impressionists were seen as somewhat bizarre at the time they first came to prominence. The nebulous forms and bright colors that were scandalous in the 1880s became delightful and utterly non-controversial a century later.
Impressionist aesthetics have affected advertising and packaging along with other aspects of popular culture. The color palette so common in Impressionism has enlivened the colors of commercial reality. The staid and relatively plain commercial establishment of the 19th century has given way to a circus-like commercial atmosphere that vies for public attention at every turn.
Pastel colors, oranges, yellows and light blues have become staples of interior decoration, in conjunction with the popularity of Impressionism. These themes do not necessarily indicate a direct interest in Impressionism by the people who utilize them, but rather are a reflection of an aesthetic culture that has been influenced by an art movement to the point where its characteristics have been incorporated into the culture completely.
The popularity of Impressionism is shared by art thieves, who express their approval by regularly stealing Impressionist works. In February of 2010, an Edgar Degas painting worth over $1 million dollars was stolen from an exhibit in Marseilles. Two years earlier, in February of 2008, thieves in Switzerland stole four Impressionist works, by Cezanne, Degas, van Gogh and Monet, worth a total of over $150 million.