Impressionism
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The Ecole des Beaux Arts, also known as the Academy, was build during the reign of Louis XIV of France. The Academy was extremely significant in the 19th century because the works that were accepted into the Salon became the taste making body in French culture. Attendees of the Salon were generally from the upper class and considered anything accepted into the Academy to be of great value. The annual exhibitions were highly competitive, as was membership to the academy. Because of this, artists would crowd around the Academy to try and get their works of art accepted knowing that if their work were showcased, they would have a prosperous career.
Funded by the government, the French Academy thus supported a limited range of artistic expression. Works of art accepted into the Academy were those that were created using a classical style. In classic art, individuals with importance, such as a king or mythical character, were usually the subject of a painting. Colors used for paintings were local, or believable and similar to those seen in real life. They were used to create lines that blended together to give a chiaroscuro effect and give depth (shadow) to two-dimensional objects...