Impressionism Definition

ĭm-prĕshə-nĭzəm
noun
A theory and school of painting exemplified chiefly by Monet, Pissarro, and Sisley, but also by Manet, Renoir, etc., whose chief aim is to capture a momentary glimpse of a subject, esp. to reproduce the changing effects of light by applying paint to canvas in short strokes of pure color.
Webster's New World
A literary style characterized by the use of details and mental associations to evoke subjective and sensory impressions rather than the re-creation of objective reality.
American Heritage
A style of art music of the late 1800s and early 1900s, often evoking a dreamy mood and characterized by modal or whole-tone scales, rich and often dissonant harmonies in unconventional progressions, and the avoidance of traditional forms.
American Heritage

(art) A movement in art characterized by visible brush strokes, ordinary subject matters, and an emphasis on light and its changing qualities.

Wiktionary

(music) A style that avoided traditional harmony, and sought to invoke the impressions of the composer.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Impressionism

Noun

Singular:
impressionism
Plural:
impressionisms

Origin of Impressionism

  • From French impressionnisme

    From Wiktionary

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