Impressionism was a style of painting that emerged in the second half of the 19th century. It was characterized by a use of bright, vibrant colors and the idea of capturing a ‘moment in time’. Impressionist paintings often depict the play of light reflecting off objects, and some artists captured the beauty of a single moment, like the setting sun or a rain shower. Impressionism was a revolutionary approach to painting because, for the first time, artists were able to accurately depict the way light interacts with the world around us.