Impressionist Art: Initial Criticism

Impressionist art was looked at with disdain by art critics, as it was commonly accepted that any serious artist would minimize brush strokes and create a glossy, refined painting, not something with visible dots, blobs and smears.

During the first Impressionist art exhibition in 1874, the conservative painters and critics saw this kind of art as unfinished and unprofessional, turning the word ‘impressionist’ into a derogatory term.