Impressionism as a conscious need

… As with any other profession, the consumer always demanded quality from painting for his money. The thoroughness of the drawing, the elaboration of light and color – all these are direct attributes of quality. All of them were characteristic of the masters of painting until the end of the 19th century. Particularly high thoroughness of work performance is characteristic after the invention of oil paints by Van Eyck. Textures of fabrics, building materials, elaborate faces, figures – all reached the possible technical limit accessible to the eye and hand.
The work of the Dutch of the 16-17th centuries can be viewed in a magnifying glass.
Such painting remained until the 19th century, until photography was invented in its misfortune. Continue reading →