Defining Impressionism

Impressionism stands in stark contrast to the previous ideals of artwork. In this concise history of Impressionism, Paul Smith explains the origins arising from the dissatisfaction of several artists with their classical training. Specifically, the "emphasis on historical and mythological subject matter and 'correct' drawing"(9) such as that of the Renaissance painters using Cartesian perspective. Impressionist painters rebelled against the structure and standards. Instead of timeless scenes in geometric space attempting to recreate an objective visual experience, impressionists embraced the impression. Each painting captures a fleeting moment, the subjective experience of that instant, unique to the individual experiencing it.
For many impressionists, their goal was to create impressions "untouched or unformed by knowledge"(27). It would be impossible to forget all the knowledge of the world and still be able to paint, so paradoxically, simulating this innocent view of the world requires even more knowledge, practice, and study. Despite the view of Impressionist paintings looking unfinished or thrown together, simplifying splashes of color could be as difficult as rendering details.
Along with the history of Impressionism, Smith covers the history of the history of Impressionism. As a style of art that rebells against structure, it would be difficult to define. There is no set of rules or guidelines to create an Impressionistic painting, and you can't depict sensations with a straightedge. Each revised approach to Impressionism seems to come at it from a different angle, focusing on a different aspects, though none seems complete.