Who were the Impressionists and how did they change the art world?

The Impressionists were a group of artists in the 19th century who challenged the traditional way of painting and introduced new styles and techniques. The movement began in France in the 1860s and included famous artists such as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas.

The Impressionists believed that art should capture a moment in time and convey the feelings and emotions of the artist. They rejected the strict rules of the academic art world and sought to capture the fleeting effects of light and color in their paintings. This was a radical departure from the traditional approach to art, which emphasized realistic and detailed representations of people and landscapes.

Despite being initially rejected by the art establishment, the Impressionists gained a following and eventually changed the art world. They held their own exhibitions outside of the traditional salon system and introduced new techniques such as broken brushstrokes and the use of complementary colors. Their paintings inspired future generations of artists and laid the groundwork for modern art movements such as Fauvism and Expressionism.