Impressionists' Personalized Subject Matter

Impressionists' subject matter was based upon the content of their personal lives – the ordinary became extraordinary for them. Previously, for the Academy artists, it was historical or mythical figures as their subject.

Photography, with its snapshot effect, captured moments as they happened.

The works created by the Japanese in their woodblock prints had a significant influence on how subjects were presented in an asymmetrical composition offering an informal, more intimate space.

Brushstrokes was another notable feature of Impressionist art. The personalized brushstrokes of these painters, I describe as one's fingerprints, featured two aspects: illustrative brushstrokes for crafting representational while expressive brushstrokes for crafting the sense of the moment.

When Impressionists talked about sensations, they spoke about their experiences through their five senses as related to that momentary awareness and its fleetingness.

For the Natural Impressionists such as Monet, sensations at that moment were filled with environmental splendor; there, the light was key. Whereas for Post-Impressionist such as van Gogh, sensations became an expressionistic reflection of color and movement within a heart alive with passionate energy.

The interplay within that moment sets Impressionist's artworks apart from all others that came before them.