The 19th and 20th centuries marked the beginning and end of Modernism. Modern art replaced traditional art as individuality replaced academic art and what emerged were four major art movements: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism. From each movement came great artists, who defined each ism in their own style. .

             Impressionism started in 1870 and included artists like Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, and Cassatt. Impressionists tried to capture the mood in a glimpse concentrating on the immediate visual impressions. They played with the effects of sunlight and shadow and of direct and reflected light that they observed. To reproduce immediate visual impressions as seen by the naked eye, they abandoned the use of grays and blacks in shadows and used complementary colors instead. A fine example of an impressionist painting found in Art Through The Ages is Le Moulin de la Galette by Auguste; it's a scene "dappled by sunlight and shade" taking place on a Sunday afternoon in Paris with people crowded all about in the frame work (993, 26-69). Impressionists' paints stemmed from the principles of freedom of technique, a personal approach to subject matter, and a truthful depiction of nature. .

             In 1880 began Post-Impressionism, which contained three generations. Post-impressionism itself was a more personal and spiritual expression. Some of the great artist included Cezanne, Gauguin, van Gogh, and Seurat. Vincent van Gogh the famous Dutch painter distorted forms and used vibrant colors to express his emotions. His lines and brush strokes exaggerated beyond impressionism to simply convey his exhilaration for nature and life. One example of van Gogh's work is The Starry Night a "whirling and exploding" depiction of the night sky as he saw it (1000, 26-76). It was his personal intertwined view of the earth, the sky, and the stars. .