Impressionism was a revolutionary style of painting that emerged in France in the 1860s and changed art forever. Instead of painting every detail with precise, smooth brushstrokes in a studio, Impressionist painters worked outdoors and captured quick impressions of light, color, and movement as they appeared in real life.

The name came from a painting called Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet, one of the movement's founders. Critics initially used “Impressionism” as an insult, suggesting these paintings looked unfinished or sloppy. But Monet and his fellow artists, including Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro, embraced the label proudly.

Impressionist paintings look different up close than from far away. Up close, you see loose, visible brushstrokes and dabs of pure color sitting next to each other. Step back, though, and your eye blends these colors together into shimmering scenes: sunlight dancing on water, shadows shifting across a garden, or crowds moving through a busy Parisian street. The paintings capture a fleeting moment, like how a camera freezes an instant in time.

Before Impressionism, most serious painters worked indoors on historical or mythological scenes with dark colors and perfect details. Impressionists shocked the art world by painting everyday life, haystacks, water lilies, and ballet dancers with bright, bold colors applied in quick strokes that suggested forms rather than outlining them precisely.