The idea of transforming a train station into a museum of impressionism astonishes me; and it’s also hard to believe that the artwork of great painters such as Monet and Caillebotte were once rejected by society. The Quai d’Orsay Museum was marvelous and educational. I was introduced to the world of individualism and of course, impressionism. I don’t know too much of the history of impressionism, only that it was extremely controversial in its time. Like Rodin’s motive to sculpt untraditional masterpieces, impressionist’s painters also accomplished to escape the classical traditions of painting. All the artwork from this museum was distinctive and contemporary. However, one that stood out for me the most was Caillebotte’s painting of “The Floor Scrappers.” The imagery of this painting screams reality and labor: real men doing real work. This painting must have been considered extremely distasteful in theme and in technique when it was first released. The theme of this painting screams struggle, and it involves lower-class subjects. Two things the aristocracy could have not been able to understand or accept. The technique of the painting heads towards the opposite direction of traditional painting. The brush strokes are smooth and soft and it makes the painting seem like a “zoomed in” photograph. Overall, Caillebotte’s work looks like photography. All of these impressionist painters wanted to paint something real and honest. I do not understand why society was so resistant to change. Anyhow, I am glad the impressionist’s painters deliberately broke from tradition. It is because of their revolutionary movement that the world of art was majorly influenced. Now, people from all over the world consider it creative and monumental artistic. Impressionism could have not been classified as a fashion because fashion changes throughout the seasons. Impression remained consistent for years. It is true that Impression was approached in different ways and it may sound like fashion but it was approached with one goal set in mind: escape classical beauty and enter the world of reality.
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