Best of Impressionism

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Best of Impressionism

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Published on before 2005

Impressionism in its true form does many things well. It can depict fleeting moments, movement and temperal light very well. It does not hold up very well in other capacities or the portrayal of several types of subject matter. It has strengths and does best when it "stays within itself" to use a sports term - when it focuses on what it does best.

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida:
  • Playa de Valencia, Pescadoras

    Do you see the movement in the crowd? This would not and could not look more convincing if every person were painted very slowly and very well. Another thing this work does is represent color quite well. This is the beauty of working from life generally - all impressionist must do this to be true to the term.

    Sargent, Sorolla, Zorn and the "Boston painters" did this well. Some of us feel that as the French founding members went off ever striving for their own identity distinct from one another they moved further from the very tenants that gave power to their movement. So, we see some of the best examples of Impressionism in other countries a few years later.

    Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida:
  • El Bote Blanco

    Zorn:
    •