Design Journal: Research on Art movement : Impressionism

I decided to do a research on impressionism art movement because i like it most out of the 14 art movement that my lecturer gave. The impressionism paintings are mainly focused on the general impression produced by a scene or object and the use of unmixed primary colours and small strokes to create an illusion of actual reflected light. impressionism paintings are usually from people's everyday scenes, normal activity, and landscapes instead of historical, religious or mythological subjects. I noticed that most impressionist artists vibrant and light colours, and sometimes mixed directly on the canvas to create strong contrast compared to the traditional paintings. The brushwork looks quick and spontaneous as most impressionism painting aren't very 'clean' or 'tidy'.

My favorite impressionism artwork is by Edgar Degas (1834-1917) because most of his artworks depicts dancers and their movement. I think the reason i really like his artwork is because i'm a dancer myself, and i feel like i can 'read' what he is trying to picture or describe.

Ballet Rehearsal, 1873, The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts SOURCE
my opinion : The dancers are rehearsing for a performance the good ones are usually at the front, and there is a girl who is lost so she stopped and watched the rest dance and she will try to follow and keep up. Another dancer probably came late for the rehearsal so she just started stretching by the wall. the other two dancers are probably discussing about their costumes. The girl at the front is probably the star of the show, so she is resting and watching the rest practice. i like how he painted the dancers legs when their are in that position, it looks very 'real'. Also like how the walls of the room is painted that way. Makes the room looks very old and it shows that the academy had been there for a long time.

Edgar Degas - Rehearsal of the Scene - Musée d'Orsay, Paris SOURCE
mu opinion : The dancers are rehearsing the most important scene, and the master is watching the main dancer of the show practicing. i like how the ballet dancers are in blue and the bows are in different colours. their tutu/skirt is very detailed and it somehow shows the 'fluffiness' of the skirt. The ceiling details are also very attractive, the colours it makes it look so classic and prestigious.

Dancer with a Bouquet of Flowers (Star of the Ballet), 1878 SOURCE
my opnion : This is definitely after a grand performance, and as shown in the painting title, she was the star of the performance. She must have been the main dancer and character for the ballet troop. She was given the bouquet of flowers for putting on a great show, and she looks really happy about it. The rest of the dancers are at the back, sharing their excitement and experience after the show. Again, the colours and the way the tutu/skirt is painted is AMAZING! the trees and bushes were not given much attention compared to the dancers, i think he was trying to make the dancer as the attention item of the painting.

Edgar Degas - Dance Class, 1871- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City SOURCE
my opinion : This interpretation is similar as the first picture above, but instead of a rehearsal it is just a normal practice or class. i like how the movement and the position of the dancers are all different. The colour scheme on this painting is really nice. i also like how the dancers look harmonize with the background and the walls. the shading gave so much depth to the painting.

Another impressionism artist that i like is Alfred Sisley (1839-1899). He paints Landscapes and his works strongly invokes atmosphere and his skies are always impressive. he concentrated on landscapes more consistently than any other impressionist painter.