Impressionism was an artistic movement in France from the mid-1860s until about 1890. The Impressionists distained the traditional religious and historical subjects and painted landscapes and scenes of leisure in contemporary Paris. Influenced by landscapists such as Constable, Corot, and the Barbazon School, they ususally worked out-of-doors, recording the scenes before them spontaneously and directly. Delacriox's innovative use of unmixed hues had a distinct impact on the Impressionists. Their technique was also influenced by scientific work of the time on color and light. Their pictures were executed in bright contrasting colors in order to convey the impression of light and they emphasized the individual brush strokes.
Impressionism also described other art forms, notably literature which uses symbolic imagery and music which expresses mood and feeling.
