1. Impression, Sunrise (1872) –Claude Monet
Significance: This painting gave Impressionism its name and is a radical departure from traditional art. Monet emphasizes the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere over detailed realism. The rough, sketch-like quality challenges the expectations of finished art and captures the essence of a specific moment at sunrise in the port of Le Havre. It represents a manifesto of the new movement, where visual impressions take precedence over strict depiction.

2. Water Lilies Series (1896–1926)– Claude Monet
Significance: The Water Lilies series exemplifies Monet's obsession with light and its interaction with water. Painted over 30 years, these works show how he moved away from linear perspective and traditional subject matter, focusing instead on light, reflection, and color. The abstraction of his later works in this series foreshadows modern movements like Abstract Expressionism, making them not only key Impressionist pieces but also precursors to 20th-century art.

3. Woman with a Parasol (1875)– Claude Monet
Significance: Monet captures the spontaneity of a breezy afternoon walk, focusing on the effects of sunlight on the woman's flowing dress and the surrounding landscape. The brushstrokes are loose and airy, mirroring the wind's movement. This piece epitomizes Impressionism’s goal of rendering the transient, atmospheric qualities of light and nature.

4. Luncheon of the Boating Party (1881) – Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Significance: This lively painting depicts friends enjoying a sunny afternoon at a riverside restaurant, capturing the essence of Parisian bourgeois leisure. Renoir's mastery of depicting soft, glowing light creates a warm, inviting atmosphere, blending the figures into the landscape. His use of color and light gives the scene an almost dreamlike quality, emphasizing the Impressionist focus on everyday pleasures and human interaction.

5. Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (1876)–Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Significance: This painting is a perfect example of Renoir’s ability to capture the joyous, vibrant life of Paris at the time. Set in Montmartre, the use of dappled light creates a dynamic sense of movement and festivity. Renoir's composition brings together figures in motion and blends them into their surroundings, showing how Impressionists used light to dissolve the boundaries between subjects and their environment.

6. The Ballet Class (1874) –Edgar Degas
Significance: Degas’ fascination with dancers allowed him to explore form, movement, and the human body in a unique way. Unlike other Impressionists who focused on light outdoors, Degas often worked in interior settings, emphasizing posture, grace, and the discipline behind the beauty of ballet. The composition is casual yet carefully organized, reflecting Degas’ deep understanding of human gestures and the subtleties of movement.

7. The Absinthe Drinker (1876) –Edgar Degas
Significance: This melancholic work shows Degas’ interest in the psychological states of his subjects. The scene presents a woman in a café lost in thought, reflecting the isolation and alienation of urban life in late 19th-century Paris. The subdued tones and lack of interaction between the figures convey a sense of disconnection, offering a darker contrast to the often joyful scenes typical of Impressionism.

8. Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877) –Gustave Caillebotte
Significance: Caillebotte brings a different perspective to Impressionism with his focus on urban life and perspective. This painting presents a broad, modern Parisian street with carefully rendered architectural details, but the wet cobblestones and reflections capture the essence of a fleeting, rainy moment. The precise composition and realism distinguish Caillebotte from his peers, yet he remains true to the Impressionist goal of depicting modern life and atmosphere.

9. The Floor Scrapers (1875) – Gustave Caillebotte
Significance: This painting offers an unusual subject for Impressionism, depicting laborers in a moment of strenuous work. Caillebotte’s realism contrasts with the more abstracted brushstrokes of his contemporaries, but his interest in light, perspective, and modern urban life aligns him with the movement. It challenges traditional depictions of working-class life by presenting these men with dignity and precision.

10. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882) – Édouard Manet
Significance: While not strictly an Impressionist, Manet’s later works had a profound influence on the movement. This painting reflects themes of modernity and urban spectacle, with the barmaid standing detached from the lively scene behind her, symbolizing the isolation of individuals within the bustling city. The complex use of reflection and perspective creates ambiguity, inviting viewers to question the nature of reality in the painting.