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AP Art History · Unit 4: Later Europe & Americas

4.2 Realism to Post-Impressionism

Realism

Realism (mid-1800s) depicted ordinary life and labor honestly, rejecting idealization — Courbet and Manet ('Olympia') shocked audiences with everyday, confrontational subjects.

Impressionism

Impressionism captured fleeting light and moments with loose, visible brushwork, often painted outdoors (Monet, Degas). It prized perception over precise detail.

Post-Impressionism

Post-Impressionists pushed further: Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' into expressive emotion, Cézanne's landscapes toward structure and geometry — paving the way to modern art.

Key terms

Realism
honest depiction of ordinary life and labor
Manet's 'Olympia'
confrontational Realist nude that shocked Paris
Impressionism
fleeting light, loose brushwork, painted outdoors
Post-Impressionism
beyond Impressionism: emotion (Van Gogh), structure (Cézanne)
'Starry Night'
Van Gogh — expressive, swirling emotion

Try an AP-style question

Courbet's Realism focused on…

  1. miracles from religious stories
  2. heroes from ancient mythology
  3. idealized classical beauty
  4. ordinary people and everyday life
Show the answer

D. The Stonebreakers.

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