ome sense of what Impressionist art is, their principles should be viewed as a succession of concepts rather than strict adherence to a set of rules. One of the main contentions of the group was a strong denial of academic learning in the art school despite the fact that Renoir, Degas and Manet all had rigorous academic backgrounds (Impressionism 17). They collectively opposed the Romantic notion of artistic expression as the subjective manifestation of the artists feelings (Impressionism 17). The Impressionists felt that imagination in the arts should be superseded with vis a vis encounters wit h the models, landscapes or sites to be painted. This real-life approach included an adherence to the objective and scientific realm of artistic principles (Impressionism 17). For the Impressionists, Realism was to be heralded for its analysis of reality, of life as it really was, without deference to the social, political or economic impact. Although they had this reverence for the realistic, a greater emphasis was placed on the realistic portrayal of light as the subject of their painting rather than the object itself (Handbook 97). This was pursued with the use of a myriad of techniques and theories for the analysis of light and shadow that broke from the traditional black and white in favour of a technicolour palette (Willard 18). What Impressionism is can be summarized in six essential, if not strict, characters. First, classical and religious scenes were abhorred. They were looking for what everyday life; Scenes of what past artists would have considered mundane, like Camille Pisarros Child with Branch (1881). Second, There was a sketchiness and spontaneity to the work, as in Monets Water Lilies (c. 1899). Third, was the use of pure, vibrant colours, as in Van Goghs Van Goghs Room at Arles (1888). Fourth, the subject of the paining should be the light. Light was not to be used as emphasis but #rather the concentration ...
