Art · Cinema, photography & architecture + iconic works

Impression, Sunrise, Monet

An orange sun over the harbor, and a whole movement finds its name.

18723 min read5 partsQuiz of 8 questions

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Part 1 of 5 · freeIntroduction

Around 1872, Claude Monet painted the harbor of Le Havre at first light. He called the picture Impression, Sunrise.

In 1874, the critic Louis Leroy made fun of it, and named impressionism without meaning to.

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Open-book quiz8 questions whose answers are in the text.

Glossary10 terms explained in a tap.

30 languagesThe same course, from French to Japanese.

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Glossary

industrialization · reference: Le Havre was the leading French commercial port, transformed by industrialization. Monet shows precisely this industrial modernity (steam, cranes, small boats) in the morning mist - a fleeting vision of modernity on the move.
industrialized port of Le Havre in the 19th century · reference: Le Havre was the leading French commercial port, transformed by industrialization. Monet shows exactly this industrial modernity (steam, cranes, small boats) in the morning mist, a fleeting glimpse of modern life in the making.
Louis Leroy · person: Art critic for "Le Charivari", Louis Leroy wrote a sarcastic article in 1874: "Impression, I was certain of it!". He wanted to mock them - the term "impressionists" was adopted by the artists themselves with pride, turning the insult around.
Louis Leroy and the birth of the term "impressionism" · person: An art critic for "Le Charivari", Louis Leroy wrote a sarcastic article in 1874: "Impression, I was certain of it!". He meant it as mockery, but the artists proudly adopted the name "impressionists" and turned the insult around.

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A Sophia courseWritten by the Sophia editorial team, reviewed before publication, translated into 30 languages.See Sophia's authors

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