The shadows in the Impressionism

The Impressionism is the artistic epoch that I like the most, because of its colors, its non-defined drawings, its natural themes… its positive way of living!

Concerning the use of shadows, in the Impressionism there is a big turn in its use, as the shadows abandon, for the first time, its negative cargo, and are converted in a pure artistic and plastic theme! They become just another way of decoration of a painting and, as such, free to be used wherever, whenever and however the painter wishes.

During this period it appears colored shadows instead of the traditional black used before, and its unforgettable negative interpretation. In Monet’s work there is a big relevance in the shadows of the trees. However, it is in paintings of Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley where the use of colored shadows is more evident.

Look at these paintings: you can find blue shadows , green shadows, grey shadows, brown shadows, even purple shadows… but there are no black shadows! This is one of the secrets that make the impressionist paintings so light (not so heavy!) :)