Impressionism

Impressionism (from the 1870s, led by painters including Monet, Renoir and Degas) broke from the smooth, detailed finish expected by the academic art of its time: visible, loose brushstrokes, a focus on capturing changing light and atmosphere rather than precise outline, and everyday, often outdoor subject matter painted directly from observation.

It's taught as the hinge point between academic tradition and modern art - the movement that first made 'how it's painted' (visible brushwork, colour, light) as important as 'what's painted'. That shift in priority is exactly what Post-Impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism, covered elsewhere in this unit, all build on and react against.