Impression: Sunrise

Impression: Sunrise (1872)

Claude Monet

This painting, sketched one morning at the docks in La Havre, is what gave rise to the popular term "Impressionist", in an article that focused on Manet, Degas, Renoir, Sisley, Morisot and Pissarro, stating that they were Impressionists "in the sense that they do not produce a landscape, but rather convey the sensation produced by the landscape", therefore making an Impression. 

Monet's brushwork might, at first glance, be called "sloppy" to the untrained eye, but if you look closer, there is no question as to what the subject of the painting is. It is clearly a painting of boats on the water, with docks in the background, and a sun rising over the scene. This is a considerable feat, considering that the painting is mostly made up of minimal staccato strokes.

Areas of the canvas are unpainted (such as the entire left corner), the original sketch is still visible, and the whole painting gives off an air of being unfinished. Despite this, this painting is still one of his most famous, and one of the paintings most closely associated with Impressionism.

Olympia

Olympia (1863)

Edouard Manet

This painting was extremely controversial. It shows a nude woman looking directly at the viewer, much like The Lunch on the Grass (1863), another Manet painting. When this painting was exhibited at the Salon de Refuses in 1864, police had to restrain crowds from throwing objects at the canvas. The reason for the controversy surrounding this painting is people's reaction to it. You see, the woman in this painting is portrayed very clearly as a prostitute. The viewer also might feel uncomfortable while looking at this painting because of the frankness with which the woman looks at the viewer. Her hand is placed in a modest position not for modesty's sake, but in the interest of business. You cannot look there, she is saying , you have not paid yet. She stares at you with no pretense of shyness, challenging you. 

The painting is a striking one, visually. The dark background draws your eyes towards the figure on the bed, and the whiteness of the sheets harmonizes with the paleness of her skin. The black ribbon around her neck, her bracelet, and her mules all serve the purpose of emphasizing her nakedness. The flower in her hair, the flowers that her black maid are holding (undoubtedly from a satisfied customer), and the flowers on the shawl beneath her are all bright flashes of color that bring variety to the picture. A black cat crosses the foot of the bed, a traditional symbol of sensuality. Manet's style in this painting is one of fragile clarity, rather unlike his later, more impressionistic paintings.