This painting depicts his first wife Camille with their oldest son Jean. Camille is holding a parasol or light umbrella and it seems that she is catching a glimpse of someone looking at her. As an Impressionist, Monet captures what his eye sees at the given moment and the effect of light on the figures.
Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre Auguste Renoir 1880-1881
Among the most famous paintings of not only Renoir, but of the entire Impressionist movement. This painting is known for its richness of form and masterful use of light. Renoir uses rich color and elements of design like balance and harmony, all of which are characteristic of Impressionists. In the painting are Renoir's friends and his future wife Aline enjoying an afternoon on a balcony along the Seine river. Again we see the theme of capturing an impression of what you see in a given moment.
The Floor Scrapers by Gustave Caillebotte 1875
This painting features working class people and Caillebotte perfectly captures the light through the window and the resulting shadows. It is known for being as realistic as a photograph, which is the theme in impressionism of capturing a moment in time.
The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt 1893
The painting focuses on the figures of a mother and child. Behind them, the vibrant blue color of the sea and the green touches show the sparkle of sunlight on the water. As in all impressionist paintings, it is capturing a moment in time.
Dance atLe Moulin de la Gallette by Pierre Auguste Renoir 1876
The painting shows Sunday afternoon in an open air dance hall and cafe that was close to Renoir's home. He went there on Sunday afternoons and enjoyed watching the happy couples. He uses light as well as fluid brushstrokes and captures an aspect of everyday life all of which are typically impressionistic.
The Dance Class by Edgar Degas 1871-1874
Degas was concerned with line, form and movement of the human body. The painting depicts ballerinas at the end of their lesson. It shows figures not facing the audience or posing. They are painted quickly to capture a single moment in time, which is the theme in Impressionism. The light shines on the ballerinas focusing attention on them.
The Sisters by Berthe Morisot 1869
Two young women dressed in identical gowns sit quietly on a sofa. They are almost exactly alike in appearance and manner. Morisot posed her models for a short time and then painted them from memory, which enabled her to capture a moment in time like all impressionists.
The Glass of Absinthe by Edgar Degas 1876
In the painting, Degas leads your eyes to a woman, who is sad, lonely and lost in her own thoughts. She is seated next to a man who ignores her and is looking at something outside the picture. Degas uses a candid pose to capture a moment in time.
Pont Boieldieu in Rouen, Rainy Weather by Camille Pissarro 1896
Pissarro did a series of paintings of this bridge in different light conditions and weather. He shows the crowds of people coming and going, smoke from the boats, crains, workers in the foreground and all this in gray colors glistening in the rain. He is using light and shadow capturing a what the eye sees in a moment.
The Haystacks, End of Summer, Giverny by Claude Monet 1891
In the painting, Monet captures the Haystack at different times as the sunlight had changed. He tried to paint exactly what his eyes saw rather than what he knew was there. This is a great example of impressionism as an art style that tried to capture an impression of what the eye sees at a given moment and the effect of sunlight on the subject.
