Impressionist painting arose from artists' dissatisfaction with the strict standards of the French Academy of Fine Arts. These artists wanted the freedom to paint what they see and feel while painting. Claude Monet and Edgar Degas are just two of the many artists who moved into Impressionism. Although the painting styles of Monet and Degas were noticeably different, they both demonstrated artistic freedom in their work. The Impressionist movement in the arts brought new ideas, subjects and techniques to painting. I will discuss Impressionism and how this type of painting is used in Claude Monet's Rouen Cathedral and Edgar Degas's L'Absinthe. The Impressionist movement, born in France, was born in 1874 when artists who did not follow the exhibition criteria at the Salon were excluded from exhibitions. The Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1648 by Charles Lebrun (1619-90) and they decided which works would be placed in the annual Salon. The works of impressionist artists must resemble a sketch or an unfinished work of art and cannot be exhibited. Their response to exclusion was to have their own exhibitions. The City of Paris became the main location of the Impressionists because it was renovated under Napoleon III between 1853 and 1870. “Its multiple facets and its varied actors make the Impressionist movement difficult to define. Indeed, her life seems as fleeting as the light effects she sought to capture. (Samu 2000) The Impressionists used everyday scenes for their subjects in an attempt to capture reality. They chose natural scenes for their subjects and included the effect of light on their subject. The colors used were light, vibrant colors to show brightness. The artists attempted to depict the medium of paper and captured the spirit of the scene. Unlike Monet, he painted indoors and used sketches. They were both great impressionists and demonstrated artistic freedom in their work. They had different ideas, subjects and techniques, but both brought real middle-class life into their paintings.Works CitedAuricchio, Laura. Claude Monet (1840-1926). In Heilbrunn Chronology of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York. 2000. www.metmuseum.orgCarroll, Colleen. Claude Monet 1840-1926. Moments of the day in art. Arts and activities. September 2008. Vol 144. Issue 1. P 24. Moffat, Charles. French impressionism. Art history archives – Impressionism. 2007. www.arthistoryarchive.comPotter, Polyxeni. Alone together yesterday and today. Emerging infectious diseases. October 2009. Vol 15. Issue 10. Social Studies and Language. Nashville: SW Advantage/Great American, Inc. 2012. Print.