Impressionism began in France during the 19th Century. It is characterized by visible brush strokes, optical mixing of colors, and strong emphasis on light and everyday subjects. The movement gets its name from Claude Monet's Impression Sunrise (Fig. 1) and the title of Louis Leroy's biting critique, The Exhibition of the Impressionists.

In its beginning, Impressionist work was not accepted as finished art. The Salon refused to exhibit the work favoring artists that conformed to the accepted standard. The first public showing of the 'Impressionist' work was in 1863 when Emporer Napolean III organized a separate Salon, Salon des Refusés (Salon of the Refused), allowing the people to view and judge the work. Impressionist painters organized their own exhibitions after their request for another Salon was denied. Public opinion would soon change and impressionistic work would be commonplace in the Salon by 1880.