The Genre

The impressionist movement was a revolt against the academic tradition. Instead of representing objects in a realistic manner, with precise lines and perspective, artists sought to capture a moment of experience as it was lived. They left the studio to paint outdoors, and tried to re-create effects of light with soft brushstrokes and bright colors. Seurat used an original technique, today called “neo-impressionism” or “pointillism,” because the painting was created from small touches of contrasting colors. When seen from up close, the effect is confusing, but when seen from a distance, they form objects through optical illusion.

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