Impressionists on the Water Coloring Book

Almost 150 years ago, a group of French painters created a shocking new style. Instead of painting the usual illustrations of historical events or grand portraits of kings and queens, they set out to capture moments from everyday life. Their paintings often showed shopkeepers, neighbors, friends, and family members going about their daily routines, or just scenes of simple natural beauty such as a glimmering river or a sunset over the sea. Also, these artists didn’t try to produce an exact copy of what they saw. Instead, they tried to record with bold colors and visible brushstrokes the “feeling” of a scene—their“impression” of it (which is how they came to be called “Impressionists”).

This coloring book features sixteen paintings by famous Impressionist artists. All of the paintings include bodies of water: boats skimming along sun-dappled rivers, houses by the sea, a beautiful lily pond (painted by Claude Monet in his own backyard!). The original paintings are shown as small pictures on the inside front and back covers. When you color in these pictures, you can either try to copy the original colors and style or come up with your own. We’ve also included some blank pages, so you can create your own works of art. You might try going outside, as the Impressionists did, and coloring the light, shadows, and reflections you see!

Selections:
Alfred Sisley, Riverbank, or The Geese (Bords de rivière, ou Les Oies), from Album of Original Prints from the Vollard Gallery (L’album d’estampes originales de la Galerie Vollard), 1897. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Gustave Caillebotte, Sunflowers along the Seine (Soleils au bord de la Seine), c. 1885-1886. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, The Passenger from Cabin 54—On a Cruise (La Passagère du 54—Promenade en yacht), 1896. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Édouard Vuillard, The Ferryman (Le Passeur), 1897. Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Gustave Caillebotte, Regatta at Trouville (Régates à Trouville), 1884. Toledo Museum of Art, OH
Paul Signac, Collioure, The Sailboats (Collioure, les balancelles), 1887. Private collection
Claude Monet, Water Lilies (Nymphéas), c. 1914-1917. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Claude Monet, Sailboats on the Seine (Voiliers sur la Seine), 1874. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Claude Monet, The Floating Studio (The Studio Boat) [Le Bateau-atelier], 1874. Kröller-Mü ller Museum, Otterlo
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Oarsmen at Chatou (Les Canotiers à Chatou), 1879. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Claude Monet, The Gorge at Varengeville (La Gorge de Varengeville), 1882. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Claude Monet, The Grand Canal, Venice (Venise, le Grand Canal), 1908. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Paul Signac, Evening (End of the Day—The Pier at Flushing)[Le Soir (Abend—La Jetée de Flessingue)], published in Pan (vol. 4, no. 1, 1898), 1898. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Jean Barthold (Johan) Jongkind, Honfleur, 1864. Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University
Gustave Caillebotte, The Seine at Argenteuil (Cul blanc)[La Seine à Argenteuil (Cul-blanc)], 1882. Private collection
Claude Monet, The Bridge at Argenteuil (Le Pont d’Argenteuil), 1874. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC