Impressionist Jigsaw Puzzle



Impressionist Jigsaw Puzzle Item #901



Hi Puzzlers,

Every time I see our Impressionist jigsaw puzzles I have to stop and pick it up to look at it. I’m captivated by the images of everyday life and the beautiful scenery. Swoosh! It is like a time machine is transporting me back to 18th century France and giving me a snapshot of the lives of its citizens. That for me is what great art is all about. The Impressionist topic has made me realize, other than how this puzzle made me feel, I know nothing about this wonderful branch of art. This realization leads me to wonder, what exactly is, Impressionist art?

The Impressionist art movement began in France in 1860 and developed itself through 1890. Its style can best describe as art that captures a peek or glimpse of an ordinary scene. It uses bright, bold colors to capture the image, not finely painted details. Special emphasis is placed on lighting and its subtle changes. Small, thin, broken brush strokes are used and very little is blended. Each scene is depicted from an unconventional angle, much like the works of today’s top photographers. Impressionist art is like a snapshot, it captures the moment.

Many of Frances future Impressionists grew up during Napoleon III rule, this time is also known as the Second Empire (1852-1872). Napoleon preferred academic art and used his might as ruler to govern the Academy of Fine Art and its views on new art forms. This ultimately forced a split between official art and independent art.

The differences were felt on many levels: Politically most Impressionist disagreed with Napoleon’s forced takeover of the Art Academy. Many of the new artists came from the working class and could not relate to the aristocracy. Artistically, future Impressionist wished to express the simplicities in life and in nature, not history or mythology.

Frustrated by the continued rejection of their artwork Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, and Sisley decide to exhibit their artwork independently and organized the Société Anonyme Coopérative des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs in 1874. The exhibit showcased the work of thirty progressive artists.

Art critic Louis Leroy despised the show and wrote a disparaging review. With a play on words he calls Claude Monet’s Sunrise- Impression, Sunrise and titles the article The Exhibition of the Impressionists. In his article Leroy writes: “Impression—I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it ... and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape.” The public, as well as most of the artist, embraced the new name, thus giving birth to the greatest art movement in recorded history.

Artwork, old photos and even great puzzles can leave beautiful impressions for all to enjoy. The next time you come across an Impressionist painting try to look for the small, thin, broken brush strokes the artist unconventional angle of the scene. There will always be critics including the Great Napoleon that will have trouble finding beauty in this kind of art. But like all art “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” and I for one will always see the beauty in the Impressionist art.

Happy Puzzling!