In 1874, the first official Impressionist exhibition was organised by an anonymous group of artists that called themselves by the name The Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers,  etc. This group included members like Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro. The artists all had one thing in common; their artworks looked totally different when compared to any other art-style at the time. The techniques that were utilised by the artists differed quite a lot. However, outsiders would always address them as one group: the impressionists. Impressionists were often accused of being amateurs, because their paintings looked like sketches or unfinished paintings. On the other hand though, some critics accepted this new style and praised the works of art for their modernity. 

The colouring used by the artists was revolutionary. As new ways of making paint were discovered, colours became more vibrant, saturated and perhaps shocking for the unaccustomed eye of the beholder. Impressionists tended to live on the countryside where nature freely showcased all of its' stunning scenery. Another subject that was frequently used was modern day life. A lot of impressionist paintings would show everyday people doing every things. This would all add up to the revolutionariness of Impressionism.

The impressionist exhibitions continued to be organised until 1886, adding up to a total of eight exhibitions. With participants ranging from nine to thirty. Pissarro was the only one to participate in all eight exhibitions, he was also the eldest of all impressionists. Also under the participants were Cézanne and Gauguin, who were to become leading figures in the world of Post-Impressionism. Which is the collective name for all art movements that found their origins in Impressionism. These art styles included Neo-Impressionism (which included using points of pure colour), Symbolism (which included symbolist objects in its' paintings) and Cloisonnism (which was about alternating bold and flat shapes, it was also closely related to Synthetism). The impressionist group was difficult to keep together as artists had very different approaches when making a painting, this made the group eventually fall apart.