Impressionism and Post-impressionism

IMPRESSIONISM

Impressionism was a movement initiated in France during the 1870´s an lasted through the 1880´s. It had very particular characteristics, that can´t be found in any other period, the most important ones are:

• Little or none detail in the painting.
• The use of the brushstrokes to create pictures.
• Not mixing the colors but Layering them.
• Paintings resemble daily life events.
• The use of vibrant colors.
• Never using black.
• Always happy scenes (to motivate people after the war).  
• Artists started painting outside the workshops due to the invention of tubed pigments.

One of my favorite impressionist paintings is Claude Monet´s "Bordighera":

• Author: Claude Monet
• Date: 1884
• Where: France
• I like it because: The imperfect brushstrokes create a very astonishing natural movement with it´s curves in the leaves, the trunk and in the water, is natural and beautiful.

POST-IMPRESSIONISM

Post-Impressionism appeared in the late 1880`s just after the impressionism, they share most of their characteristics but some of those changed and some prevailed:

• More detail was added. (NOT always)
• Sometimes they used color black.
• Brushstrokes became more defined. (NOT always)
• Resembled daily events and landscapes.
• the rest was partially the same as impressionism.

By far my favorite post-impressionist artist is Van Gogh, which i think his masterpiece was " wheat field with cypresses":

• Author: Vincent Van Gogh.
• Date: 1889.
• Where: Arles, France.
• I like it because: The flux of the strokes is so smooth it creates amazing realness and tranquility, but keeping the characteristics of the Post-Impressionism.