Famous Impressionist painters
The artists who painted light, colour and modern life.
Impressionism began in France in the 1860s and 1870s. Rejected by the official Salon, a group of painters organised their own exhibition in Paris in 1874. A critic mocked Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise, and the name stuck.
The Impressionists painted outdoors, used broken brushstrokes and bright, unmixed colour, and chose everyday modern subjects: cafés, boulevards, railways, gardens and the seaside. Read more about the movement on Art Movements.
1.Henri Matisse
1869–1954 · French · Impressionism, DivisionismHenri Matisse (1869–1954) was a French painter associated with Impressionism and Divisionism. Known for Woman with a hat, The Joy of Life and The Dessert: Harmony in Red (The Red Room).
2.Claude Monet
1840–1926 · French · ImpressionismClaude Monet (1840–1926) was a French painter associated with Impressionism. Known for Impression, Sunrise, Rouen Cathedral Series and Garden at Sainte-Adresse.
3.Edgar Degas
1834–1917 · French · ImpressionismEdgar Degas (1834–1917) was a French painter associated with Impressionism. Known for L'Absinthe, The Ballet Class and Count Lepic and His Daughters.
4.Pierre-Auguste Renoir
1841–1919 · French · ImpressionismPierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) was a French painter associated with Impressionism. Known for Bal du moulin de la Galette, Luncheon of the Boating Party and The Great Bathers.
5.Édouard Manet
1832–1883 · French · ImpressionismÉdouard Manet (1832–1883) was a French painter associated with Impressionism. Known for Luncheon on the Grass, Olympia and A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.
6.Mary Cassatt
1844–1926 · American · ImpressionismMary Cassatt (1844–1926) was an American painter associated with Impressionism. Known for The Child's Bath, Little Girl in a Blue Armchair and Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge.
7.Camille Pissarro
1830–1903 · Danish-French · Impressionism, Neo-impressionismCamille Pissarro (1830–1903) was a Danish-French pastellist associated with Impressionism and Neo-impressionism. Known for Pont Boieldieu in Rouen, Rainy Weather, Steamboats in the Port of Rouen and Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon. Effect of Rain.
8.John Singer Sargent
1856–1925 · American · ImpressionismJohn Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was an American painter associated with Impressionism. Known for Madame X (Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau), Carnation, Lily, Lily and Rose and The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit.
9.John William Waterhouse
1849–1917 · English · Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Neo-PompeianJohn William Waterhouse (1849–1917) was an English painter associated with Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and Neo-Pompeian. Known for Hylas and the Nymphs, The Lady of Shalott and Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the most famous Impressionist painters?
The best-known Impressionists include Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Manet, Mary Cassatt.
Was Van Gogh an Impressionist?
No. Vincent van Gogh is classed as a Post-Impressionist. He learned from Impressionism in Paris in 1886–88 but developed a far more expressive style.
Was Manet an Impressionist?
Édouard Manet was close to the Impressionists and inspired them, but he never showed his work at their group exhibitions. See Monet vs Manet.