American Impressionism

American Impressionism

Find out more about American Impressionism and the American Impressionist artists and view our collection of American Impressionist paintings online.

The American Impressionist movement began in the late 1880’s as a result of American artists traveling to Europe, mainly to Paris and London, where they met the French Impressionist painters. Mary Cassatt met Monet, admired his paintings and brought some of his paintings back to America. This encouraged many exhibitions of the French Impressionists in American cities which in turn, influenced American artists like Childe Hassam to paint in an Impressionist style.

American Impressionists painted in art colonies such as on Long Island Sound in Connecticut, at Carmel and Laguna Beach in California, in New York and in Boston.

The style of American Impressionists was very similar to the European Impressionists using vivid color and loose brushwork. Famous American Impressionist includes John White Alexander, Frank Weston Benson, Reynolds Beal, Matilda Browne, Alson Skinner Clark, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Thomas Dewing, Frederick Carl Frieseke, Childe Hassam, Lilla Cabot Perry, and John Singer Sargent.