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                                                   Le Moulin de la Galette by Renoir

Waterlilies by Claude Monet

The Japanese Bridege by Claude Monet

Salon des Resuses

The most prestigious art show was organized by the Academie des Beaux-Arts which was called the Salon de Paris. Every year they would have a jury of art critiques that would judge artists' works and the winners would recieve prizes, prestige, and commissions yet those who painted in the impressioist style were repeatedly rejected because they painted outside of the accepted style. Some of the main artists at the time were Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, and many more.

However, in 1863, Emperor Napolenon III thought it was best that the public should judge the rejected impressionist pieces so an art show called the Salon des Refuses (Salon of the Refused) was held. Many came to mock the paintings yet many also recognized that the impressionist art had captured a new style of art and the Salon des Refuses had attracted more spectators compared to the usual Salon.

Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that has been known as one of the greatest movements in art history. It began in Paris with some independent artists who moved away from the traditional academic style. What was considered "art" back then was a very refined, polished, and realistic style where subjects were arranged in studios. The impressionists on the other hand worked outside, drawing inspiration from nature.  This was a radical rethinking at the time, giving lots of color freely to their pieces. One of the notions a lot of art critiques would say was that the impressionists' work looked "unfinished."

This was just fine for the impressionists because their techniques incorporated small brush strokes, dashes, dots, and unmixed colors giving emphasis on the 'impression' of the piece instead of the details.