Top 5 Impressionist Painters - Iconic Artworks

Top 5 Impressionist Painters - Iconic Artworks
Every impressionist painter was unique.
Though united in their aim of taking art in a new, radical direction, they each had their own distinctive visions, styles and subject matters.

1. Claude Monet - The Visionary
The biggest name among the impressionist painters today, Claude Monet (1840-1926) was central to the development of the impressionist movement.
When he was a student in Paris, Monet became acquainted with Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley and Frédéric Bazille.

2. Auguste Renoir - The Social-Climber
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) was one of the most prolific painters of the Impressionist movement.
He is best known for his paintings of girls and women, his soft, luminous style, and the feeling of joy that his paintings evoke.

3. Edgar Degas - The Observer
Perhaps the most notorious of the Impressionist artists, Edgar Degas was famed for painting contemporary subjects.
His best known subjects are ballerinas and jockeys, with Degas' controversy stemming from his misanthropy which manifested itself as anti-Semitism in later life.

4. Paul Cezanne - The Neo-Impressionist
Cézanne first began painting from nature, using the bright tones typical of the Impressionist style.
Introduced to Impressionism by his close friend Pissarro, Cézanne experimented with new techniques before developing his own style of painting.

5. Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), perhaps the most famous artist in the world, is perceived by many as the 'mad' artist, the man who painted in a frenzy or simply the tormented soul who cuts off his ear. His artistic genius is often overshadowed by those who see his paintings as mere visual manifestations of his troubled mind.