Impressionist artists don't portray things in a realistic tradition.
There are many styles the visual arts which are characterized according to the artistic principles and elements applied by the artist, the period during which the work was created as well as its relationship to a particular art movement. There were two major but very different styles of art which in developed France, the first was Realism and this was later followed by Impressionism.
About Realist Art
Realism is a style of art in which the artist attempts to depict their subject as realistically and objectively as possible. This style emerged in France in the 18th century, reaching a high-point during the mid-19th century and a brief resurgence in the post-World War One era. Realist art coincided with the positivist age where objective scientific methods were perceived as the solution to all human problems. Realism is also sometimes referred to as Naturalism, since artists of this era tried to portray the natural truth of everyday subjects.
Realists Artists and Their Works
The subjects of Realist style works come from everyday life and are ones which previous art movements deliberately avoided or overlooked such as poor people. Most Realist artists are French, however there were also some notable American, British, German and Russian Realist painters. Edgar Degas, Rosa Bonheur, Arthur Huges, John Everett Millais, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Georg von Dillis and Nikolai Ge are just some of the many artists who painted in this style.
About Impressionist Art
Evolving from the Realist/Naturalist style, the Impressionist movement emerged in France in the mid-19th century. The style is labelled as such because of the artists' objective of providing a general impression of a scene rather than a detailed account. Impressionists aimed to depict the effect of movement and light on the appearance of a subject so as to provide the visual sensations as interpreted by the human eye.
Impressionist Artists and Their Works
In a major departure from their more traditional predecessors, Impressionist artists mostly painted their works outdoors rather than in the studio, using subjects such as landscapes, water reflecting sunlight and people enjoying outdoor recreational activities. Quick, short brush strokes and unmixed primary colors were used to simulate reflection, light and movement. Their works when viewed up close appear messy and unrealistic, but from afar show the moment as captured by the artists' eye. French, Russian, American and Belgium artists painted in the Impressionist style including Claude Monet, Pierre-August Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Fredrick Carl Frieseke and John Singer Sargent.
