The Master of Impressionism

Impressionism emerged during the early 1900’s when a rogue group of artists decided to defy the traditions of the French art schools and salons, in particular, the Académie des Beaux-Arts (the Academy that dominated French art during the middle of the 19th century, known to be the relentless preserver of traditional French painting). Instead of painting the same content in the same styles, this group of off-the-grid artists depicted modern life in its transient, sensory and vibrant realities.

The Académie valued historical subjects, religious themes and portraits; preferred painting styles that suppressed traces of brushstrokes so as to conceal the artists’ emotions, personality and working techniques; and most notably, they encouraged artists to capture their subjects are realistically as possible, using somber and subdued colors.

Impressionists, on the other hand, deliberately went against this grain: they opted for images of the present time like landscapes and nature, city life and “everyday” people; they expressed their identities through their loose and varied brushstrokes, often opting for more a “textured” surface; and they used vivid, bold and imperfectly blended colors to capture the sensation and perception one derives from a scene, veering away from “realistically” depicting the subject matter. Their work received mixed reviews from the public, yet the most popular art critics were not too charmed by this group’s attempt to launch a completely different genre.

Today, any art historian, collector or just about any artist will not deny the impact Impressionist had on art as a whole. Through the Impressionists, there was a general shift in the attitude and philosophy toward art, having had become the impetus of many art movements afterwards that essentially endowed Modernism with its most fundamental values.



Baterbys Art Gallery in Orlando, Florida (Baterbys) proudly partakes with the world in highly esteeming Impressionists by including in their collection the works of Elena Bond. Walking into Baterbys, you’ll find yourself welcomed by the impressive works of Elena. They are bold, charged with life and all bearing the same semblance of Monet’s, Degas’ or Renoir’s work – they are all exemplary impressions of the real, contemporary subjects they represent.

On March 9, Friday at 6pm, Elena’s work will be viewed by a more enlightened public such as yourself. Baterbys will open its doors to the public that wants to “meet and greet” the world-renowned Elena Bond. If you decide to purchase a work of hers on this night, she may even write your name on the back of the canvas in her dedication to you, cementing your name in the lineage of Impressionism for the years to come. More so, it’s your opportunity to get to meet an upcoming impressionistic master up close and personal.