Impressionism takes its name from an expression used by the art critic Louis Leroy, following an exhibition organized in the studio of photographer – Nadar – in 1874. The journalist was an ardent critic of the movement initiated by a group of artists, symbolized by the painting entitled “Impression, soleil levant” by Claude Monet. Impressionism is not an accurate portrayal of nature but rather a subjective vision thereof. The artist no longer concerns himself with detail, abandoning shadow, precise lines and contours in favor of a fleeting impression. While impressionism was all about painting the outside, what sets impressionist art apart from landscape art is its capacity to capture the ephemeral. Impressionist works are rarely without a human presence, immortalized in a rural or urban setting. These scenes are brought to life and take on their full meaning through the use of intense colors and a juxtaposition of contrasting shades, the veritable symbol of impressionism. The impressionists upset established conventions and techniques, opting for rapid yet emphatic strokes. Impressionism attaches great importance to our perception of contrasts and light, something that is accurately expressed through the seasons: snow in winter, lush green fields in the summer and rain in the autumn, as in the painting by Gustave Caillebotte entitled “La Place de l'Europe, temps de pluie”.