Impressionism:

Themes

What themes did the Impressionist depict?

Starting page

Introduction:
What were the favourite themes the Impressionists did depict? And how did related artists render these themes? This starting page will mention the main themes and will give several examples. On the menu page you will find an overview of themes, where you can link to seperate pages on those themes. I will focus on the main Impressionists Monet, Morisot, Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley. I will also focus on paintings clearly done in an impressionist painting style.

The sun:
A main theme of the Impressionists was the influence of sunlight on the colours of the objects. They depicted the effect of different weather conditions, seasons and times of day on the colours.

Armand Guillaumin, 5IE-1880-66, Port d'Austerlitz, effet de neige =!? 1871-73ca, CR43, Place Valhubert, 65x81, Orsay (iR2;iR23;iR59;iR35;iR6;R2,p311;R90II,p150+166;R179,p20;R124,no43;M1) =? SdR-1873-333, Effet de neige par un beau temps — Armand Guillaumin, 5IE-1880-66, Port d’Austerlitz, effet de neige =!? 1871-73ca, CR43, Place Valhubert, 65×81, Orsay (iR2;iR23;iR59;iR35;iR6;R2,p311;R90II,p150+166;R179,p20;R124,no43;M1) =? SdR-1873-333, Effet de neige par un beau temps

Camille Pissarro: 6IE-1881-67, Paysage d’été avec figures; appartient à M. P. Compare: CCP638, 1880, Peasant woman in a field, Pontoise, 47x65, private (iR10;iR6;R116,CCP638) 1891/04/22 Vignon sold this work to Durand-Ruel — Camille Pissarro: 6IE-1881-67, Paysage d’été avec figures; appartient à M. P. Compare: CCP638, 1880, Peasant woman in a field, Pontoise, 47×65, private (iR10;iR6;R116,CCP638) 1891/04/22 Vignon sold this work to Durand-Ruel

Water:
Dominant themes of the Impressionists were seascapes and riverviews. Maybe the banks of the Seine and the sea along the Normandy coast are the two most dominant themes the Impressionists depicted.

Alphonse Maureau, 3IE-1877-87+88, Bords de la Seine =!? 1877ca, Banks of the Seine, 15x24, Florence GAM (R2,p220+205;iR6;iR2;iR11;R90II,p75+93;R89,no31;R3,p289) Note: The signature is written vertically in the sail of the boat. — Alphonse Maureau, 3IE-1877-87+88, Bords de la Seine =!? 1877ca, Banks of the Seine, 15×24, Florence GAM (R2,p220+205;iR6;iR2;iR11;R90II,p75+93;R89,no31;R3,p289) Note: The signature is written vertically in the sail of the boat.

Claude Monet: 7IE-1882-77, À Grainval, près de Fécamps. Now: CR653, 1881, SDbr, At Grainval near Fécamps, 61x80, private (iR51;iR2;R22,no653;R90II,p206+222;R2,p395+404) Provenance: 1881/04 Durand-Ruel. Expos: =4EIP-1885-74; =3XX-1886-8; =NY-NAD-1886-297. — Claude Monet: 7IE-1882-77, À Grainval, près de Fécamps. Now: CR653, 1881, SDbr, At Grainval near Fécamps, 61×80, private (iR51;iR2;R22,no653;R90II,p206+222;R2,p395+404) Provenance: 1881/04 Durand-Ruel. Expos: =4EIP-1885-74; =3XX-1886-8; =NY-NAD-1886-297.

Sky:
Skies are quite dominant in pictures of the Impressionists. Often the horizon is on 1/3 of the canvas. Namely Sisley was a master in depicting skies. Known are also the sky studies by namely Courbet, Boudin and Monet.

Eugène Boudin, 1IE-1874-20-4, études de ciel (pastels). Maybe?: 1854-59ca, Sunset and cliff (Étretat), pastel, 15x21, MEB Honfleur (iR23;R51,p197;R2,p119;R87,p230;M19) =EdBA-1899 — Eugène Boudin, 1IE-1874-20-4, études de ciel (pastels). Maybe?: 1854-59ca, Sunset and cliff (Étretat), pastel, 15×21, MEB Honfleur (iR23;R51,p197;R2,p119;R87,p230;M19) =EdBA-1899

Alfred Sisley: 1881ca, CR449=CCPP448, Sbl, The boatyard of Matrat near Moret-sur-Loing, 55x73, MN Potsdam (iR2;iR11;R129,no450;R396,no449;M268) Provenance: 1881/10/31 Durand-Ruel. Expos: =? 7IE-1882-168, Cabane au bord de l’eau; =? DR1899-10. — Alfred Sisley: 1881ca, CR449=CCPP448, Sbl, The boatyard of Matrat near Moret-sur-Loing, 55×73, MN Potsdam (iR2;iR11;R129,no450;R396,no449;M268) Provenance: 1881/10/31 Durand-Ruel. Expos: =? 7IE-1882-168, Cabane au bord de l’eau; =? DR1899-10.

Earth:
The Impressionists depicted many landscapes. This includes city and village views. Often the horizon is put quite high on the canvas. Pissarro dominantly depicted landscapes, they are ‘heavier’ and more grounded that those of Monet and Sisley.

Camille Pissarro, 7IE-1882-119, Paysanne bêchant la terre. Now: 1881, CCP646, Peasant woman digging (Jardin de Maubuisson), 46x55, private (iR10;iR94;R116,CCP646;R2,p394) — Camille Pissarro, 7IE-1882-119, Paysanne bêchant la terre. Now: 1881, CCP646, Peasant woman digging (Jardin de Maubuisson), 46×55, private (iR10;iR94;R116,CCP646;R2,p394)

Victor Vignon, 7IE-1882-193, La Sente d’Auvers. Maybe?: 18xx, View of Auvers-sur-Oise, 32x41, A2017/05/19 (iR2;iR11;iR41;R2,p394;iR1;R90I,p377) — Victor Vignon, 7IE-1882-193, La Sente d’Auvers. Maybe?: 18xx, View of Auvers-sur-Oise, 32×41, A2017/05/19 (iR2;iR11;iR41;R2,p394;iR1;R90I,p377)

Portraits and figure painting:
Monet and Sisley hardly did portraits or figure paintings. They weren’t very good at it. Pissarro more often depicted large figures (in landscapes) namely in the early 1880s. Though they did make many landscapes Renoir and Morisot were dominantly figure painters. Cassatt also mainly was a figure painter. Dominant figures within the broader ‘impressionist’ art-movement, like Manet and Degas, often depicted portraits and figure paintings and they are rendered in many sources on Impressionism. But, that doesn’t mean they were done in an impressionist painting style.

Auguste Renoir: 3IE-1877-185, La Balançoire (app. à M. C...) =1876, CR202, The swing, 92x73, Orsay (iR52;R90II,p81+100;R2,p206+234;R108,no202;R8,p320;R32,p37;R30,no242;R31,no39;M1) Caillebotte bequest. — Auguste Renoir: 3IE-1877-185, La Balançoire (app. à M. C…) =1876, CR202, The swing, 92×73, Orsay (iR52;R90II,p81+100;R2,p206+234;R108,no202;R8,p320;R32,p37;R30,no242;R31,no39;M1) Caillebotte bequest.

Mary Cassatt, 4IE-1879-49, Femme dans un loge. Now: 1879, CR64, Woman with a Pearl Necklace (in a Loge), 81x59, Philadelphia MA (iR92;iR2;iR3;iR8;R2,p276;R90II,p127;R187,no64). Compare: 5IE-1880-25. — Mary Cassatt, 4IE-1879-49, Femme dans un loge. Now: 1879, CR64, Woman with a Pearl Necklace (in a Loge), 81×59, Philadelphia MA (iR92;iR2;iR3;iR8;R2,p276;R90II,p127;R187,no64). Compare: 5IE-1880-25.

Mary Cassatt: 8IE-1886-7, Jeune fille à la fenêtre, appartient à M. Berend = 1883-84ca, CR125, Susan on a balcony holding a dog, 100x65, NGA Washington (iR92;iR2;iR59;R2,p449;R90II,p257;R44,p23;M21) — Mary Cassatt: 8IE-1886-7, Jeune fille à la fenêtre, appartient à M. Berend = 1883-84ca, CR125, Susan on a balcony holding a dog, 100×65, NGA Washington (iR92;iR2;iR59;R2,p449;R90II,p257;R44,p23;M21)

Recommanded citation: Impressionism: Themes depicted by the Impressionist; starting page. Last modified 2025/01/20. https://www.impressionism.nl/themes/”