Meaning & use
impressionism
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Meanings
noununcountablespecialist
A style of painting that began in France in the late 1800s, using quick brushstrokes and light colors to capture the look of a moment, particularly outdoors.
Grammar: No plural and no a; usually used without an article: Impressionism changed painting.
Patterns
- the birth of impressionism
- a master of impressionism
Impressionism broke with tradition by painting sunlight and water as they appear at a single moment.
Monet is often seen as the leading figure of Impressionism.
The museum has a room devoted to French Impressionism.
noununcountablespecialist
A style in music or writing that tries to suggest moods and atmospheres rather than describe details directly.
Grammar: Often used with a field: musical impressionism, literary impressionism.
Patterns
- musical impressionism
Debussy's piano pieces are classic examples of musical impressionism.
Literary impressionism focuses on a character's passing sensations.
Her poems show a gentle impressionism, with few facts and many images.
Common combinations
- French impressionism
- We studied French impressionism in art class.
- the birth of impressionism
- The exhibition tells the story of the birth of impressionism.
- musical impressionism
- Ravel is linked to musical impressionism.
- influenced by impressionism
- The painter was heavily influenced by impressionism.
- a movement known as impressionism
- The early critics mocked a movement now known as impressionism.
Synonyms and how they differ
- post-impressionism
- Post-impressionism is a later movement that kept the bright color but used stronger structure and emotion, so it is not a synonym.
- plein air painting
- Plein air describes painting outdoors, a method impressionists used, while impressionism names the whole style.
- realism
- Realism is nearly its opposite, since it aims for exact detail instead of a quick impression.
Opposites
Word family
- impressionist noun
- an artist who works in this style, or an entertainer who imitates people
- impressionist adjective
- relating to impressionism
- impressionistic adjective
- giving a general feel rather than precise detail
- impression noun
- a general idea or feeling about something
Commonly confused: impressionism or expressionism?
impressionism vs expressionism
Expressionism shows inner emotion through distorted forms and strong colors, while impressionism captures the look of light and a moment.
Practice
Which painter is most closely linked to impressionism?
Choose one answer.
Monet was a leading impressionist. Rembrandt and Michelangelo belong to earlier periods, and Dali is a surrealist.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “impressionism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.