Custom «Impressionism and Postimpressionism» Essay Paper Sample

Impressionism art is an artistic movement which began in France in the early 19^th century (Denvir 1990). Impressionism art work was influenced by nature, life around and everyday subjects characterized by visual impressions. Impressionism artists used broken and often unmixed color and they would often paint outside instead of in a studio. Although they painted ordinary everyday subjects they avoided subjects that were ugly or vulgar. Post-impressionism art came from impressionism art where a group of artists rebelled from the impressionism movement and formed their own group. They did not have a specific style of art only that their work was less casual and more emotionally thrilling as compared to impressionism art.

This paper is going to compare and contrast the work of two impressionist artists a male and a female in their styles, subject matters and techniques. The two artists include Giuseppe de Nittis and Mary Cassatt. The reason is because Giuseppe de Nittis was one impressionist artist whose work was denigrated by his fellow artists while Mary Cassatt was an American impressionism artist who rose when impressionism art work started its influence outside France. Giuseppe de Nittis was an Italian born artist who lived in France and specialized mostly in pastels and printmaking. He combined both pastels and printmaking to create varying light effects in his art works which brought him a lot of concern from the other impressionists. Giuseppe's work was admired for his painting on Parisian women and how he used the idea of pastels to bring out freshness and themes which were not overelaborated. Mary Cassatt was an American artist who moved to France. Her art works were mainly on everyday life being domestic and intimate rather than urban and social works like Giuseppe's.

She was famous for her mother-child themes and pictures of women doing different activities together. She used oil painting in most of her work which brought out bold and clear colors, impulsiveness and courageous versioned workmanship. Both artists used printmaking to bring out different themes in their paintings although Mary Cassatt specialized more on oil paints. Giuseppe's arts were independent whilst Cassatt's works were influenced by Japanese paintings where she had spent time in her childhood as well as influence from one of her mentors Edgar Degas. Their subject matters were both based on everyday living only that Cassatt's themes were more domestic and feminine as opposed to Giuseppe's which were urban and social works.

With both artists using printmaking, their technique was similar in creation of light effects although Mary Cassatt's colors were bolder and clear which is the original impressionism art. Giuseppe's technique was combined with a little modernity which he did in a restrained way and it made it acceptable in the impressionisms movement. In conclusion, despite the contrasts in impressionism painting due to the emergence of modernity and post impressionism, Impressionism art work is still the leading and major work of art embraced by many today.