Year 9 Impressionism

As part of Year 9 Art, students study a range of artistic periods and movements, and with the works of Monet, Renoir, Degas, and Pissarro currently on display as part of the NGV’s Winter Masterpiece exhibition, Impressionism was the perfect subject for Term 3! As well as studying key artworks and artists of the style, students also reflected on the history of the movement, its driving philosophy, and how they’ve incorporated the spirit of Impressionism into their own artistic explorations:

“I liked how we got to work on a variety of art pieces and how we got the opportunity to use different art mediums such as Japanese watercolour and oil pastels. We learnt about how Impressionism was done quickly and in open air, and encapsulated a specific time of day. We also learnt about the history of Impressionism and how it was originally rejected by art academies that did hyperrealistic paintings.” - Charlene

“I learned how to sketch and draw faster than normal and make it look more accurate. I also learned more history about the Impressionists and I enjoyed experimenting with pencils and the Japanese watercolours.” - Suri

“This course made me appreciate the Impressionist period a lot more. Before looking at it through a more artistic lens, it looks like a painting of nature - nothing more. However after actually attempting it yourself and being able to finally gauge exactly how much effort goes into it, you learn to appreciate it more.” - Aanya

“The main thing that I learnt throughout this Impressionist course was probably how to create a piece that was not hyper realistic or incredibly detailed, but rather an impression of something. We also learnt about the origin of Impressionism, and some key artists that helped to popularise the style, despite it being scorned upon at the time. The tasks that we completed throughout the course varied as weeks passed, but still focused on the broad topic of Impressionist work, and we were given lots of chances to experiment with new materials, paper, reference images, and artist styles. Overall, the course was fun and interesting, and I learnt a lot, not only about the art style, but also how to replicate it.” - Leviana

“I enjoyed using all the different materials to create different forms of Impressionism, it was very fun to experiment with the different techniques. I learned how to paint quickly like an Impressionist artist - overall, it was super fun and enjoyable!” - Sanjna

“The Impressionist course helped me unleash my creative side and present my ideas in a unique and interesting way. I found appreciation into the Impressionism period as well. The distortion and exaggeration may not have been as insightful to the people in the late 19th Century as it was thought that they were rebelling against the artists before them. However, experimenting with different paintings has made me realise how much freedom is promoted for future artists to follow the footsteps of the Impressionist painters.” - Amna