Les impressionnistes peignaient-ils vraiment aussi vite qu'on le dit ?

Beaux Arts magazine's new series debunks the myth that Impressionist paintings were created rapidly on site. The series, written by journalist Malika Bauwens, answers common questions about art history. This episode focuses on the misconception of Impressionist spontaneity. While the movement aimed to capture fleeting moments, the reality is more complex. The invention of the collapsible metal paint tube by American portraitist John Goffe Rand in 1841 allowed artists to paint outdoors with pre-mixed colors, a revolution commercialized by Winsor & Newton and Lefranc in France from 1859. However, most Impressionists only sketched en plein air and finished their canvases in the studio. Auguste Renoir's 'Bal du moulin de la Galette' (1876) was painted in three locations: the dance hall, his studio at 12 rue Cortot, and his garden. Claude Monet, despite his reputation as a plein air painter, often reworked his paintings for weeks or months, as seen in his series of 'Meules', 'Peupliers', and 'Cathédrale de Rouen', where he carried multiple canvases to capture changing light. Edgar Degas, who rarely painted outdoors, declared, 'Aucun art n'est aussi peu spontané que le mien.' The article concludes that while Impressionists worked faster than academic predecessors, none finished a painting in a few hours.