Optical Effects

The Impressionists sought to capture the optical effects of light, to depict the everchanging natural world on their canvases, seen in Impressionist artists work like Gustave Caillebotte and Claude Monet. Post-Impressionists rejected interest in depicting the observed world, they instead looked to their memories and emotions in order to connect with the viewer. Structure, order, and colour are what optical effects of Post-Impressionists like Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat, Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Signac used. Another noted movement is the Neo–Impressionists, these artists applied scientific optical principles of light and colour to create colours. Divisionism a technique based on the theories of Michel-Eugene Chevreul – Instead of mixing colour on a palette, primary colours are placed on the canvas closely as dots creating an effect which mixes as the viewer views the painting. Started by Georges Seurat seen used by such artists as Lucien Pissarro and Paul Signac

Impressionism is an art movement in 19th Century Paris. This style focuses on an overall visual effect rather than details allowing the viewer to use their imaginations. Impressionists used looser brushwork and lightened pallets like in Paris Street, Rainy Day – Gustave Caillebotte

This piece is realistic but has blurred figures and the buildings vanish in the distance. This gives anonymity to the people and creates depth to the painting allowing the viewer to imagine the street, people and maybe even give the viewer physical and auditory impressions. The use of light, reflection and tones allows this image to be viewed centering attention on the bottom right couple.

This piece is an optical experience, a very subtle image created with figural forms and a muted palette. This allow Monet to capture natural light and the atmosphere. He has captured the foggy view in such a way that blends the image creating a strong blue tone throughout the image showing the skies reflection on the waters.

References

Caillebotte, G (1877). Paris Street; Rainy Day | The Art Institute of Chicago. [online] The Art Institute of Chicago. Available at: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/20684/paris-street-rainy-day.

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