ART
Impressionism:
In the 1860's, Paris was the setting for a radical new movement in art known as Impressionism. Although not a formal school of art, the Impressionists desired to separate themselves from traditional academic art, which emphasized copying the Masters and strict fidelity to classical convention. The Impressionists strove to create images of the world, not as realistic re-creations, but as expressions of their experience. Unlike the Masters, their art was not historical or mythological but focused on images of the present. They painted such simple scenes as the circus, the horse races, the working class people and woman washing clothes. Through the Impressionist movement the beauty of the ordinary person was rediscovered. Thérèse's message of the 'little way' can be likened to Impressionism in that she focused on the ordinary soul's journey to Christ.
Music:
The Impressionist movement also influenced music. In the late 19th century, Claude Debussy, a French composer, tried to imitate the Impressionist painters by re-creating light and color in his pieces. Debussy, although 22 years younger than Monet, acknowledged the influence that the Impressionist artist had on his music. He felt closer to poets and painters than to other musicians and his radical treatment of harmony and musical form helped change the direction of music for many other composers throughout the world.
