Impressionism
From the shadow of the Salon to the light of the modern eye, seven friends rewrite the rules of seeing.
What you'll explore
The lessons
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The Rejection That Started It All
Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada Édouard Manet 
The Dead Toreador Édouard Manet 
The Young Bather Gustave Courbet 
The Source Gustave Courbet From the in-app quiz
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Which controversial work by Manet, depicting a woman in a Spanish costume, was a centerpiece of the 1863 scandal?
You spotted the right work: 'Mademoiselle V. . . in the Costume of an Espada' is the painting that caused such a stir at the Salon des Refusés with its direct gaze and modern style.
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What was the name of the exhibition that showcased rejected works, effectively birthing the counter-culture of modern art?
- The Grand Salon
- Salon des Refusés Answer
- The Impressionist Show
- The Academy Exhibition
Correct. The Salon des Refusés was the pivotal moment in 1863 when rejected artists were given a space to show their work to the public.
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The Barbizon Bridge: From Forest to Light
The Repose Jean Baptiste Camille Corot 
Bacchante by the Sea Jean Baptiste Camille Corot 
Autumn - On the Hudson River Jasper Francis Cropsey 
The Valley of Wyoming Jasper Francis Cropsey From the in-app quiz
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Which painting by Corot captures the atmospheric softness that would later influence the Impressionists' handling of light?
You found 'The Repose,' where Corot's signature silvery haze softens the landscape, creating the atmospheric bridge to Impressionism.
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Identify the movement that focused on painting nature directly from the forest, serving as a precursor to Impressionism.
- The Barbizon school Answer
- The Hudson River School
- The Neoclassical movement
Correct. The Barbizon school painters worked outdoors in the Forest of Fontainebleau, prioritizing direct observation of nature.
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The First Exhibition of 1874
La Grenouillère Claude Monet 
Garden at Sainte-Adresse Claude Monet 
The Dancer Pierre-Auguste Renoir 
Oarsmen at Chatou Pierre-Auguste Renoir From the in-app quiz
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Which painting captures the riverside bathing spot on the Seine where Monet rehearsed his quick, broken strokes before the first exhibition?
La Grenouillère Claude Monet Answer La Grenouillere, the floating cafe on the Seine, was where Monet practiced the rapid, flickering touch that would soon hang on the walls of Nadar's studio.
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In what year did the first independent exhibition of the Impressionists take place in Nadar's studio?
- 1863
- 1874 Answer
- 1886
- 1900
That is right. The first independent exhibition, where the group showed their work outside the official Salon, opened in 1874. This pivotal moment marked the birth of the movement as a public force.
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The Japanese Jolt: Composition Unbound
The Dancing Class Edgar Degas The Young Bather Gustave Courbet 
Woman with a Sunflower Mary Cassatt 
Little Girl in a Blue Armchair Mary Cassatt From the in-app quiz
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Which painting by Edgar Degas demonstrates the influence of Japanese composition through its unusual high viewpoint and radical cropping of the figures?
You are looking at 'The Dancing Class,' where Degas uses a high vantage point and cuts off the edges of the scene, a direct nod to Japanese printmaking.
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What is the term for the wave of enthusiasm for Japanese art that deeply influenced French painters in the late 19th century?
- Japonisme Answer
- Orientalism
- Realism
- Romanticism
Japonisme describes the specific fascination with Japanese aesthetics that reshaped how artists like Degas and Cassatt composed their paintings.
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The Women of the Movement
The Harbor at Lorient Berthe Morisot Woman with a Sunflower Mary Cassatt 
The Sisters Berthe Morisot 
The Mother and Sister of the Artist Berthe Morisot From the in-app quiz
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Which painting by Berthe Morisot captures the sea at a harbor with her loose, airy brushwork?
In The Harbor at Lorient, Morisot lets sky and water blend in fresh, open strokes — the seaside scene this unit walks through.
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Who was the American artist who became a central figure in the Impressionist circle, known for her depictions of mothers and children?
- Berthe Morisot
- Mary Cassatt Answer
- Camille Pissarro
- Marie Bracquemonde
Mary Cassatt, the American in the circle, made mothers and children her central subject and helped bring American collectors to the movement.
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The Final Break: Neo- and Post-Impressionism
Harlequin Paul Cézanne 
Skiffs Gustave Caillebotte 
Villas at Trouville Gustave Caillebotte 
Chrysanthemums in the Garden at Petit Gennevilliers Gustave Caillebotte From the in-app quiz
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Which painting by Gustave Caillebotte depicts skiffs on a river with precise, almost photographic realism?
Skiffs Gustave Caillebotte Answer You identified "Skiffs" correctly. Caillebotte's depiction of the river and boats shows a clarity and precision that sets it apart from the more atmospheric works of his contemporaries.
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What movement, emerging around 1880, sought to apply scientific color theory to painting through pointillism?
- Neo-Impressionism Answer
- Realism
- Barbizon School
- Symbolism
That is correct. Neo-Impressionists like Seurat used scientific color theory to place small dots of pure color side by side on the canvas.
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Where to Find the Light Today
From the in-app quiz
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Which painting captures the fleeting effect of sunlight on a figure in motion?
You have found Monet's "Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son." It perfectly captures that split-second feeling of wind and sun on a walking figure.
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If you were to visit a museum to see the core works of the movement that redefined modern light, which label would you seek out?
- Impressionism Answer
- Neoclassicism
- Baroque
- Renaissance
That is correct. Impressionism is the movement born in the 1860s that taught artists to paint the changing effects of light and color.
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