Year 8 · Art and design · Art movements · Lesson 1

Impressionism

Impressionism: the 1870s French movement of Monet, Renoir, Degas and Morisot - light, outdoor painting, visible brushstrokes and complementary colour - and how to analyse an artwork.

18-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

Describe the origins of Impressionism
Identify its key features
Explain complementary colours and coloured shadows
Analyse an artwork using content, form, process, mood

The method

Content.
Form.
Process.
Mood.

Key words: Impressionism, Monet, en plein air, brushstrokes, complementary colours, light.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

In which country did Impressionism begin?

Step 1: Paris

Answer: France

Question 2

In which decade did Impressionism begin?

Step 1: Late 1800s

Answer: the 1870s

Question 3

Which painting gave Impressionism its name?

Step 1: By Monet, 1872

Answer: Impression, Sunrise