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Contextual and Critical Studies
Quick questions on Art movements before 1900 - Edexcel A-Level Art and Design
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is impressionism?Show answer
Impressionism (1870s to 1880s) broke decisively with academic painting. Instead of smooth, finished, studio-made historical scenes, the Impressionists (Monet, Renoir, Degas, Berthe Morisot) painted modern, everyday life outdoors (en plein air), using visible, broken brushstrokes and lighter palettes to capture fleeting light and atmosphere, the sensation of a moment. It was radical because it valued perception and the contemporary world over polish and grand subjects.
What is post-Impressionism?Show answer
Post-Impressionism (1880s to 1900s) is a loose grouping of artists who started from Impressionism but pushed beyond optical impression. Van Gogh used colour and mark for emotion; Cezanne sought underlying structure and form; Gauguin used flat colour and symbolism; Seurat developed pointillism (small dots of pure colour). Together they opened the door to twentieth-century modernism by treating colour, form and feeling as ends in themselves.
What is q1?Show answer
Explain how Impressionism broke with the academic painting before it, referring to named artists and their methods. [14 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Name the Post-Impressionist artist associated with pointillism and explain what the technique involves. [4 marks]
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