What is Impressionism?
Three words; bright colours, bold brushstrokes, and a rebellious spirit!
Impressionism lacks a unifying style as the artists—Impressionists—are intentional about avoiding limiting factors.
Using short and visible paint strokes, impressionists capture the overall impression of their subject and choose to ignore the fine details. They typically depict shadows using black and grey paint and pair them with complementary colours.
The history of Impressionism
Impressionism dates as far back as 19th Century France. It was founded by Claude Monet(1840-1926) who firmly believed that paintings should happen outdoors and on the spot, not in studios creating art from previously done sketches. This may sound a little absurd to today’s collecting community, but up until the 1860s, artists everywhere were bound by a strict set of rules which included painting in a studio.
As founding artists, Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, and Edgar Degas–all Parisian-based artists–shared a desire to not be bound by these rules that were found in the academic-style painting that popularised their era. They made use of brighter-coloured paints which was uncommon for artists in that era and before theirs. Interestingly, this art movement coincided with the invention of synthetic pigments.
Their first group exhibition was held in 1874 and received a lot of criticism. The Impressionist movement got its name when Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris), received criticism from Louis Leroy who claimed it was only an "impression" and not a finished painting.
It exemplifies the methods that many of the self-taught artists adopted: short, broken brushstrokes that hardly transmit forms, clean, unmixed colours, and a concentration on the effects of light. Impressionists played with shadows and highlights in colours rather than the typical neutral white, grey, and black. The artists' free brushstrokes create the impression of spontaneity and ease, concealing their frequently meticulously planned compositions. This deceptively casual look became universally accepted as the new vocabulary for portraying modern life.
Interestingly, seven (7) other exhibitions were held at intervals until 1886. These Impressionists found a way to capture their subjects momentarily, be it a person, an object, or even landscapes, by leveraging the effect natural light brings.
Evidences in Africa
Nigeria
Ben Enwonwu
Nigerian-born Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994) was generally known to be an impressionist in style, and his subjects were indigenous. Throughout his career, he pushed for African art to not be labelled “African” and worked towards global recognition and acceptance.
Sam Ovraiti
Sam Ovraiti (B.1961) is one of Nigeria’s foremost Water colourists. He is well-recognised and highly influential in the African art scene as a master of colours and light. Having his unique touch, It is evident that Sam draws inspiration from Picasso and the French Impressionists. As an African artist, he strongly believes that African experiences in colour and form, and contemporary creativity will be penned down in history books.
Senegal
Soly Cissé
Soly Cissé(B.1969) is a Senegalese artist who currently resides in Normandy, France. He draws inspiration from his surroundings in Normandy, his African roots, and his travels, making it hard to tell where each work was produced as there is a nice blend of cultural influences. He loves the light and the changing seasons in Northern France.
He calls his style spontaneous as the thoughts, acts, gestures, movements, colours, and composition all happen at the same time as he creates. What is consistent and striking is how he assimilates his African roots in all of his works.
South Africa
Adriaan Boshoff
Adriaan Boshoff(1935-2007) is said to have been curious by nature. As a peerless romantic impressionist, he would fully immerse himself in everything he saw and read. He allowed himself to impress his surroundings in his paintings through his unique and balanced forms, recounting his daily observations and excerpts from his memory.
Adriaan flattered his artworks with colour and light to achieve critical movement and depth in his paintings.
In conclusion, it is these "rebellious artists" who are to be credited for the world of modern and contemporary art. Since there are so many similarities between the early Impressionists' styles, themes, and mediums, many of our favourite painters have drawn inspiration from them.
What the art world would have looked like without movements such as these, remains a mystery.