Impressionism started in France in the 1860s when more artists began painting outdoors, or en plein air, as opposed to painting in studios. With less control over their outdoor environment, artists paid more attention to conveying aspects like light and color quickly, leading to visuals of loose, visible brush strokes and unblended, layered colors on the canvas.
American Impressionism was born when artists brought these techniques and their penchant for painting outdoors west with them, creating beautiful landscapes that were less concerned with capturing the detail of the land and more with capturing the mood or impression of a moment in time.
