Meta-Impressionism
Art-movements
19th century in France
an overview
Introduction:
Impressionism wasn’t the only art-movement in France in the 19th century (and the beginning of the 20th century). On this page you will find an overview on these art-movements that were dominant before, during and after Impressionism displayed itself. Often you will be linked to separate pages with extended info on that art-movement. Sometimes you will find short info on an art-movement on this page.
First of all you will find some information on art-theories.
Note: several pages still have to be created.
Art-theories:
In several books some art-theories are presented as avant-garde. Emphasized is how they influenced the impressionist painting style and Neo-Impressionists like Seurat and Signac. But a closer look makes clear that most of these art-theoreticians were connected to the École des Beaux-Arts and so probably their teachings were regular part of the curriculum of that ‘conservative’ institute. Painting en-plein-air was already taught by Valenciennes in 1800 and the application of juxtaposed brushstrokes derives from the theories of Chevreul (1839) and Blanc (1867).
Néo-Classicism:
Art-movement rendering namely ancient Greek and Roman scenes and mythological themes. Important representatives were David and Ingres. See separate page.
Romanticism:
The Romanticists rendered namely dramatic scenes displaying strong emotions. Delacroix was the most important representative. See separate page.
Genre panting:
Many paintings from the 19th century are called genre paintings. Even several artists are called genre painters. Still, this is not a well defined art-movement. They depicted portraits, still-lifes, interiors, landscapes, elegant ladies, oriental scenes, etc.
Note: in the future I will refer to a seperate page.
Landscape painting:
Landscape painting can be seen as a form of genre painting, in this sense it is not an art-movement. In England Bonington, Constable and Turner were important representatives. In Italy you had the ‘Macchiaioli’ (and the ‘Scuola di Resina’) of which Giuseppe de Nittis and Zandomeneghi had been part. In France you had the school of Barbizon (or Fontainebleau) and the school of Honfleur. Important representatives were Corot and Jongkind. These landscape painters are also called Pre-Impressionists, because they had a main influence on the Impressionists. See also Pre-Impressionism.
Realism:
Many partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions, can be seen as realists, or at least they depicted realist scenes. This also applies to Degas and a para-impressionist like Manet. Courbet was the most important representative. See separate page.
Naturalism:
See separate page.
Japonism:
Art from Japan was populair in the second half of the 19th century in France, including among several partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions. They used elements from Japonism like unusual viewpoints and cutting of figures on the edges.
Note: in the future I will refer to a seperate page.
Orientalism:
Orientalism also can be seen as a form of genre painting. It renders (imagened) scenes from the Middle East. It was namely practised by Neo-Classicist and Romantic artists. For the Salon of 1872 an oriental scene of Renoir was rejected.
Note: in the future I will refer to a seperate page.
Elegant ladies:
Many artists, including partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions., often depicted elegant ladies from the upper class often with an contemporary Parisian background. It can be seen as depicting every day life, which has connections with Realism and Impressionism. It also can be seen as a form of genre painting. But, the theme was so dominant that in the future I will add a seperate page about it.
Néo-Impressionism:
Also called Pointilism, Divisionism, Scientifique Impressionism. It started with Seurat and Signac was the most important custodian. See separate page. See also neo-impressionist artists.
Post-Impressionism:
Post-Impressionism wasn’t an art-movement. It was a collective term including important artists (namely Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh) that would influence later art-movements. See separate page. See also post-impressionist artists.
Symbolism:
Including the School of Pont Aven, Cloisonism, Synthetism and Les Nabis. See separate page.
Art Nouveau:
See seperate page on this decorative style which is also called Jugendstil and had it’s peak around 1900.
Intimism:
In 1901 Camille Mauclair (1872-1945) introduced this term. The main interest of the Intimists was their own intimite life by portraying their own family members. They depicted banal yet personal domestic interior scenes, characterized by calm, silent atmospheres (often in the evening), depciting a moment of reading, daydreaming or otherwise. Notably the following artists made intimist paintings: Bonnard, Vallotton, Vuillard and Henri le Sidaner. Other painters had an intimist phase.
In 1905 the ‘Ensemble d’Intimistes’ (or Peintres d’Intérieurs) held their first exhibition. There were 20 partakers (including Bonnard, Matisse, Vuillard) showing 61 art-works.
Sources + additional info: WikiPedia (iR3; iR4); article of Katia Papandreopoulou (in Histoire de l’art no.71, 2013/12; see link to PDF).
Catalogue: 1905/02/10-25, 1st exposition: “Première exposition d’Ensemble d’Intimistes (Peintres d’Intérieurs).” In Database of Modern Exhibitions (DoME). European Paintings and Drawings 1905-1915. Last modified Jul 27, 2020. http://exhibitions.univie.ac.at/exhibition/8 =R238=iR216.
Fauvism:
Emerged from the Salon d’Automne of 1905. Important representative was Matisse.
Note: in the future I will refer to a seperate page.
Cubism:
Cézanne was an important forerunner of Cubism.
Note: in the future I will refer to a seperate page.
Sources:
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Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism: art-movements, 19th century in France an overview. Last modified 2025/10/05. https://www.impressionism.nl/art-movements/”
Note: Additional info and pictures will be added.
Please be reluctant when you quote from this webpage, which is under construction.
The information is incomplete and maybe partly incorrect.