Who started Impressionism with Impression: Sunrise?

Who started Impressionism with Impression: Sunrise?

• A. Degas
• B. Monet
• C. Renoir
• D. Cezanne

Answer: (B)

Impressionism centers on capturing how a scene feels in the moment—the play of light, color, and atmosphere—often with quick, visible brushstrokes done outdoors. Impression, Sunrise, painted by Claude Monet in 1872, embodies this approach with its loose, sketch-like strokes and a focus on the overall impression of dawn over the harbor rather than precise detail. The painting’s emphasis on light and fleeting perception is exactly what the movement sought to convey. The name Impressionism itself came from a critic’s remark about Monet’s work, but the painting also helped spark the broader group’s identity and direction. Monet became a leading figure in this new approach, shaping how the others—like Degas and Renoir—pursued similar goals, while later artists such as Cézanne expanded the movement in new directions. So, the best answer is Claude Monet.

Impressionism centers on capturing how a scene feels in the moment—the play of light, color, and atmosphere—often with quick, visible brushstrokes done outdoors. Impression, Sunrise, painted by Claude Monet in 1872, embodies this approach with its loose, sketch-like strokes and a focus on the overall impression of dawn over the harbor rather than precise detail. The painting’s emphasis on light and fleeting perception is exactly what the movement sought to convey.

The name Impressionism itself came from a critic’s remark about Monet’s work, but the painting also helped spark the broader group’s identity and direction. Monet became a leading figure in this new approach, shaping how the others—like Degas and Renoir—pursued similar goals, while later artists such as Cézanne expanded the movement in new directions. So, the best answer is Claude Monet.