When we hear the word “art,” there may be several images that come to mind: an optically masterful painting made entirely of dots, an abstract piece with pops of color , or even masterpieces like the Mona Lisa. But how did all these styles exist and be equally appreciated? In the history of art, two of the most important artistic periods were impressionism and post-impressionism. Being modern developments for their time, both of these movements show a break from traditional motifs and a desire to portray emotion. However, there are some key differences between the two styles, despite their relationship to each other. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 1874, a group of artists rebelled against the neoclassical artistic standards of the time, highlighting the beginning of the Impressionist era with an exhibition of their new style. This group, led by artists such as Edgar Degas and Claude Monet, shocked the world with their bright, luminous paintings. Widely considered vulgar, these Impressionist paintings featured short, broken brushstrokes and vibrant, unblended colors. Even shadows and lights, traditionally created using white or black, were rendered in color (Samu). This movement's emphasis on brilliant colors and the effects of light was partially facilitated by the recent development of synthetic pigments (Samu), a technology that gave artists access to truer, brighter colors. A possible response to the emergence of photography, impressionism emerged from the stuffy, staid and dark traditions of neoclassical art. With photography technology, realistic paintings became obsolete, giving the artist the freedom and need to explore new styles. Instead of the studio paintings of Neoclassicism, Impressionism focused on transitory subjects and modern life outside the studio. This style, called “en plein air” (i.e. outdoors) (“Impressionism”), was characterized by the capture of a fleeting moment. The paintings often depicted landscapes and scenes of leisure, with the bright, shimmering colors of the outside world. Impressionism's naturalistic style and rejection of traditional idealism earned it the classification as modern and would influence the movement that arose in response to it. The term "post-impressionism", which was applied to the successor to impressionism, came much later than the movement itself. . It was coined by the English critic Roger Fry in 1910, long after the deaths of the participating artists (“Post-Impressionism”). The movement began in the late 1880s and represented a dramatic break from the naturalistic style of its predecessor. Tending towards the abstract, Post-Impressionism was focused on the expression of emotions, with simplified colors and definitive shapes (Voorhies) – very different from the suggested shapes and complex colors of Impressionism. Rather than the optical focus and impressions of its predecessor, Post-Impressionism strove to express themes of deeper meaning, applying symbolism to every color and brushstroke. Although shaped by Impressionism, Post-Impressionism is perhaps best described by its lack of stylistic structure or commonality among artists' work. Lacking a single style or approach, the movement was even less collective than Impressionism (Voorhies). Indeed, the only cohesion by which Post-Impressionism can be recognized is its lack of cohesion. Among artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cezanne and Georges Seurat, the expressive characteristics of the paintings.