> The art movement known as Impressionism draws its name from a popular work bywhich artist?And the answer: Claude Monet.Claude Monet was a 19th century French artist who is largely considered to bethe father of Impressionist art. His painting "Impression, Sunrise" (in French:"Impression, soleil levant") was displayed at an 1874 salon, where it wasdisparagingly referred to as "impressionistic." The term was soonenthusiastically adapted to refer to the budding artistic movement.Impression, soleil levant ("Impression, Sunrise") painting by Claude Monet.Image source: ImpressionistArts.com.When Impressionist paintings are presentedin museums today, their legitimacy and beauty are rarely questioned. In fact,many Impressionist paintings sell at auction for millions of dollars. However,in 19th century France, this was hardly the case. Many art connoisseurs andfellow artists alike saw the paintings as slapdash, unfinished or even lowbrowworks of art. In the changing landscape of art history, it's often difficult tounderstand the powerful, even shocking, contributions of the Impressionistmovement to the art sensibilities of the time period. Yet its effects areinescapable. Photo Credit: Princeton University Art Museum/Art Resource, NY.Unlike the slow,studio-based approach that held sway at the French salons of the Royal Academie,Impressionist works were begun and completed entirely outdoors. Artists usedsmaller canvases, experimented with style and technique, and primarily worked onlandscape paintings, a type of "genre" painting which was often looked down uponin academic circles. At this time in France, the Academie revered the study ofAncient Greek and Roman art – strongly defined figures, historical leaders andmythology were all subjects deemed worthy of portrayal. But Impressionism refused this. In 1874, Impressionist artists organized theirown Salon, one decorated exclusively with Impressionist works. The buddingmovement was spurred by a fading interest in the outdated traditions of theFrench Academie and a need to depict the movement of the present. With thisexhibition, Impressionism began to flourish. Learn more about Impressionism below.