impressionism
impressionism — noun
1. a way of painting that first appeared in France around the 1860s — artists apply
a way of painting that first appeared in France around the 1860s — artists apply short, visible dabs of bright colour to capture how natural light plays across a scene, often working outdoors to preserve the feeling of a single moment rather than aiming for photographic accuracy
Nicholas spent the whole afternoon studying how Monet used light and shadow in his impressionist landscape paintings.
impressionist as adjective before a noun
The gallery's new exhibition traces the development of impressionism from the early 1860s through to the 1880s.
development of impressionism (common pattern)
Many visitors to Paris make a special trip to the Musée d'Orsay to see its famous impressionist collection.
Eri tried to paint in the style of impressionism, using small dabs of unmixed colour on the canvas.
Critics at first rejected impressionism, but by 1900 it was one of the most popular movements in Western art.
- plein-air painting
refers specifically to the practice of painting outdoors, which Impressionists favoured, but is not a name for the movement itself
- realism
the dominant style before impressionism, focused on accurate, detailed representation of everyday life
- academic art
the official, conservative style taught at European art academies that Impressionists rebelled against
文法句型
[uncountable] impressionism
用法筆記
Impressionism is always capitalised when referring to the specific French art movement. Frequently appears in the pattern 'the rise / development / influence of impressionism'.
常見錯誤
2. a way of writing in which the author tries to pass on personal feelings and sens
a way of writing in which the author tries to pass on personal feelings and sensory experiences — smells, sounds, colours, textures — rather than describing events in a straightforward, factual way, so that the reader experiences the narrator's shifting moods from moment to moment
Chiara's essay argued that Virginia Woolf's novels are a perfect example of literary impressionism.
literary impressionism (compound noun)
Literary impressionism often uses fragmented sentences and shifting perspectives to mirror how the human mind actually perceives the world.
The critic called the story a work of impressionism since it jumps between sounds and feelings with no clear timeline.
Reuben prefers detailed plots, so he finds the loose structure of literary impressionism frustrating to read.
- stream of consciousness
a related but distinct technique that tries to capture the continuous flow of a character's thoughts; impressionism is broader, covering all sensory impressions
文法句型
[uncountable] impressionism
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (painting). In literary criticism, 'impressionism' is typically modified by 'literary' to avoid ambiguity. Often associated with early 20th-century authors such as Virginia Woolf, Joseph Conrad, and Katherine Mansfield.
常見錯誤
3. a style of classical music from the late 1800s and early 1900s that uses unusual
a style of classical music from the late 1800s and early 1900s that uses unusual scales, gentle harmonies, and rich instrumental colours to suggest a certain mood, scene, or atmosphere, such as the feeling of mist over water or the sounds of a rain-soaked garden, rather than telling a strong story through melody
Debussy's orchestral work La Mer is probably the best-known piece of musical impressionism ever written.
piece of musical impressionism
Musical impressionism abandons the strict rules of harmony that earlier composers followed, giving the music a floating, dreamlike quality.
Felipe listened to Ravel's piano piece Jeux d'eau and immediately recognised the influence of impressionism in its shimmering, watery sounds.
Music historians often describe impressionism as a bridge between the Romantic period and modern music.
The piano teacher explained that impressionism uses whole-tone scales to create floating feelings that major and minor keys cannot produce.
- expressionism
a later movement that deliberately distorts sound to express intense emotion, in contrast to impressionism's soft, atmospheric mood
文法句型
[uncountable] impressionism
用法筆記
Musical impressionism is closely linked to French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. The term is borrowed from painting (sense 1) because of a similar emphasis on atmosphere and sensory effect over precise structure. Often occurs with 'musical' or 'music' to disambiguate from the painting sense.