Seascape by Edgar Degas, 1869, can be found in the Musee d'Orsay
"Blue, green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled, or mountainous; that ocean is not silent."
-H. P. Lovecraft
-H. P. Lovecraft
Capturing the Moment
Once the camera was invented and widespread, the need for precise and photo-like paintings was obsolete. No matter how precise the artist was, the camera would take a better picture. This was what a group of rebellious artists in France were thinking when they started Impressionism. Because of another great invention of the time, the transportable paint tube, artists could paint outside and not just in their studios. The Impressionists made it their goal to capture the fleeting moment and the feeling of the moment; something the camera couldn't do. They used only pure color, no black, and choppy, wide brushstrokes.
Shadows on Sea is an excellant example of Impressionism because the viewer can see the individual brushstrokes of the wave, and the pure colors put side by side to blend in the eye, like the yellow next to the turquoise makes some of the waves look green from a disstance.
This is one of the earlier works, using watercolor instead of the usual acrylic. The artist is Paul Cézanne, who was one of the artists to live and paint through Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism.
The water in this piece is beautiful, with the wide and choppy brushstrokes ideal for Impressionism. In the foreground, the water is made up of pink, teal, blue, and dark green slashes, but in the background the colors all meld into a reflective blue/brown color.