Relationship between Impressionist Painting and Impressionist Fiction

Kathyrn Hayes, Colby College

Abstract

Despite these differences in time and place, the impressionists shared the same attitude toward portraying life in both painting and fiction. They found beauty in the normal perceptions of the world around them and wanted to portray life as impressions on the eye and mind. Exactly what these two groups of impressionists were working against, what their principles and techniques were, how closely they are in fact related and what place they have in the history of modern art and fiction will be considered here.