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My A* EPQ [Art-based Artefact FULL Essay &

Sketchbook Example|| Pastel Inspire]
28/09/201921/09/2020

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Many students are warned before taking on an EPQ, that artefact projects are substantially harder and
score substantially lower than full essay projects. The key difficulty with artefact EPQs is making them
research-based and the biggest task I had to overcome was insuring my artefact complimented my
research, rather than the other way around. I was the only student in my year group to attempt an
artefact EPQ and there was very little help as to the structure my EPQ should take.

During Sixth Form, I completed an art-based artefact EPQ on the significance of light and colour in
Impressionist art. This EPQ followed obtaining full marks in my Art GCSE
([Link] so I chose to take a very similar
process in creating my EPQ project and sketchbook.

In the end, I obtained 48/50 in my EPQ in June 2019 (AQA EPQ A* boundary = 45/50).

I plan to write an article in the future on my top tips for an art EPQ but this article features my EPQ
essay and sketchbook in full that helped me achieve my A*. All the art below was submitted collectively
as my artefact, with mini essays, artist studies and my final pieces being documented in an A3
sketchbook. Please see the end of my essay for a slideshow of my full EPQ sketchbook.

My EPQ Essay (ft. photos of artefact)

Is use of light and colour the sole feature that defines the Impressionist art era, or are there more
significant motives behind the movement?
Impressionism can be described as “a style or movement in painting originating in France in the 1860s,
characterised by a concern with depicting the visual impression of the movement, especially in terms of
the shifting effect of light and colour”. Today, the Impressionists are some of the most popular artists
whose artworks are readily seen by the public, namely due to the expressive use of colour and unique
depictions of interesting compositions of light. However, this project aims to explore whether use of
light and colour really is the defining feature of Impressionist art, or whether there are other reasons
why this movement of art is so unique from other movements. Furthermore, I also explored whether
some of the most famous “Impressionist” artists today can be defined as “true Impressionists”, based on
their techniques and motives.

Initially, I
researched
Claude Monet, as
he is frequented
described by art
historians as
“epitomis[ing]
most closely the
values of
Impressionism”1.
Monet frequently
used varied
colour palettes in
his paintings,
such as in “The
Cliff Walk at
Pourville” (1882)
and “Red Boats,
Argenteuil”
(1875), which
helped create a
powerful mood
and atmosphere for the viewer. For example, in “Le Grand Canal” (1908), he primarily used more
muted, cool colours to emphasise the bright morning, which focuses the viewer on the reflections and
varied hues of the water. Studying the painting up close, one can see how the hints of pinks and yellows
contrasts with the muted colours, creating a sense of calmness and tranquility. In series works such as
his Haystacks, Monet painted many similar, simplistic scenes so that “nothing distracts the attention from
his harmonies of colour and atmosphere”2. Taking a random selection of paintings from this collection,
such as “Haystacks, Hazy Sunshine” (1891) and “Haystacks at the End of Summer, Morning” (1891), it is
clear to the viewer that the real interest is in Monet’s manipulations of light through the medium of
colour.

However, use of light and colour is not the only technique that Monet demonstrated that is considered
typically Impressionist: Monet also frequently varied his style of brushstrokes, working very loosely and
liberally in paintings such as in his Waterlilies series. This technique, combined with frequently working
in plein air, led to many of Monet’s paintings creating a feel of a “moment in time” for the viewer.
Indeed, many of the revolutionary techniques Monet demonstrated had the same key purpose: to create
a sense of a moment or impression of a scene for the viewer, rather than a full, still representation of a
period of time.
Considering
Monet as a “true
Impressionist”, I
then began to
compare his
techniques and
works to those of
other artists
during a similar
period of art
history. I initially
researched Edgar
Degas, who
separated
himself from
most
Impressionists by
outwardly
describing
himself as a
Realist, rather
than an
Impressionist, with a “lack of interest in plein-air painting, his abiding passion for the art of the great
3
masters, and his experimentation in different media, including photography” . However, it is clear by
studying his works that Degas aimed to create an impression of a person’s life rather than Monet, who
aimed to create an impression of a scene. One way that he demonstrated this was how Degas “began
experimenting with off-centre compositions, and figures cut in half by the picture frame”1, which can be
considered a way that Degas allowed the viewer to glimpse “an unexpected slice of Parisian life”. This is
comparable to how Monet used sketchy strokes and varied colours in his paintings; both artists used
these contrasting techniques to give the viewer an impression of the scene in front of them, whether it
was a landscape or a group of people.

Some critics have argued that “Degas never allowed himself to be called an Impressionist, and, affirming
the supremacy of drawing over colour, was often highly critical of his colleagues [the Impressionist
artists he frequently exhibited with at the Salon des Refusés]”4 yet, despite this, he did show very similar
motifs to other Impressionists like Monet. Indeed, a majority of written sources on Degas were in books
containing a wide range of other Impressionist artists, implying that many art historians do draw great
similarities between Degas’ and other Impressionists’ work. Studying Degas’ sketches and paintings as a
modern viewer, it is clear that the theme of capturing a moment for the viewer was a theme of
Impressionism that Degas consistently demonstrated, along with other Impressionists.
Another artist prominent at the time of the Impressionists
was Paul Cézanne, whom I also researched as part of my
project. Like other Impressionists, Cézanne presented his
work at the 1870 Salon de Réfuses, however he drifted away
from the Impressionist movement and focused on creating
more carefully structured compositions, with a unique
crystal-life appearance. In paintings such as Tall Trees at the
Jas de Bouffan (1883), Cézanne used “constructive” strokes,
consisting of flat strokes of a consistent scale, shape and
direction, “giving the picture an overall coherence …
through slow methodical brushwork”5. Art historians can
infer that rather than attempting to create atmospheric
conditions, he sought to create spectrums of colour that
more realistically replicated the conditions of the day.

Some critics
argue that
Cézanne was key
to the
Impressionist
movement, while
others, such as
Hajo Düchting,
claim “once the
heyday of
Impressionism
dawned,
Cézanne had
already put both
Paris and
Impressionism
far behind
him”6. In this
case, it is
important to note
that Düchting is
writing with the
purpose to persuade the reader that Cézanne was a truly unique and revolutionary artist of his time, so
the author avoids crediting the origins of Cézanne’s style to any artist or movement, such as the
Impressionists, throughout the book. Despite potential bias in his work, it is difficult to ignore
Düchting’s argument that Cézanne was unlike the Impressionists; indeed, even sources specifically
covering Impressionist artists describe Cézanne as relinquishing Impressionism, “insufficient for [his]
purpose and inadequate to [his] aims”4.
Many of the
sources I did
study as part of
my research gave
a general
overview of
Impressionism,
such as “Great
Artists of the
Western World:
Impressionism”,
considering how
many artists of
the same period
of history used
Impressionist
techniques; this
suggests that the
authors may be
biased in looking
at Cézanne and
 Degas from a
purely
Impressionist
viewpoint, rather
than considering
techniques which
made both artists
stand out from
classic
Impressionists
like Monet.
Despite this,
visiting galleries
and exhibitions
such as “Drawn
in Colour: Degas
from the Burrell”
(National Art
Gallery) and
“Corteau
Impressionists:
From Manet to Cézanne” (National Art Gallery) offered the opportunity for first hand research in seeing
these artists’ work up close, supporting evidence from these texts regarding to what extent Degas and
Cézanne really were “Impressionists”. The Corteau Impressionists exhibition at the National Art
Gallery5featured a range of artists from a similar period of art history, such as Manet, Renoir and Seurat.
However, the paintings themselves and their descriptions were clear evidence of how differently these
artists worked; for example, Seurat was described as being “dissatisfied with Impressionists’ intuitive
responses to light and colour” and thoroughly discarded their style of thinking, despite being exhibited
as one of them in this exhibition, suggesting that not all those artists considered “Impressionists” by the
public can truly be considered one by art historians. Generally, the Impressionist exhibitions proved
more useful sources than the texts, which were prone to producing bias to make the artist seem more
original in their techniques (and therefore less “typically Impressionist”), while seeing the paintings and
annotations up close allowed for a more critical judgement of the methods used.
 Using the
research I had
gathered from
these three key
artists, I began to
develop an idea
for a final piece
which
incorporated
what I felt were
the key features
of
Impressionism. I
focused on a
series of works,
taking
inspiration from
how both Monet
and Degas
created multiple,
similar paintings
which showed
subtle changes in
composition and/or atmosphere. I chose to focus on landscapes, picking compositions from my garden
in order to give me the change to work en plein air, trying to pick images which worked together in a
series, yet also showed some compositional interest, taking inspiration from Degas. Eventually I chose a
set of two compositions that complemented each other with similar viewpoints. Throughout the
painting process, I focused on capturing all the colours reflected in the light of the scenes, while
preserving the spontaneous, loose feel of the Impressionist artists, taking note of what I’d learnt in my
research. This can particularly be reflected in the portrayal of the trees, where I used broad brushstrokes
to capture the constant movement of the leaves. I also used subtle variations of colour to reflect the slight
changes in light and impression for the viewer: while the first painting has a strong, warm tint to reflect
the calm twilight, the second painting consists of slightly cooler tones to suggest the vibrant daytime.
This was an ode to Monet’s many series works, containing multiple similar scenes with strong variations
in light and atmosphere. Overall, these paintings reflected and supported what I’d learnt during my
research regarding the techniques and aims of Monet and Degas.

In conclusion, there is clear evidence for colour being a key feature in Impressionist art, yet this cannot
be prioritised over the real motive behind the artist’s work: the reason for “Impressionist” art being
given its name is due to whether or not the aim of the piece is to suggest a moment in time, inflicting
some sort of emotion or atmosphere for the viewer. Despite this, it is accurate to suggest that “the
Impressionist group in France falls into several sections”4. Monet and Degas both shared the same
intention to capture an impression of a scene, despite doing this through different techniques; in
comparison, Cézanne shared similar technical qualities in his painting style to Monet, yet his overall aim
leant towards capturing a representation of a longer period of time. In this way, it is clear Monet and
Degas demonstrate their Impressionist qualities to a much greater extent than Cézanne, which can be
noted in viewing their work. In this way, the significance of colour in Impressionism is limited to simply
being a means through which artists, such as Monet, can create these atmospheric effects and feelings for
the viewer.
1 / 17

References
(1) Anon. (1987). Great Artists of the Western World. London: Marshall Cavendish.
(2) Mannering. (1998). The Masterworks of Monet. Bristol: Parragon.
(3) Drawn in Colour: Degas from the Burrell. The National Gallery, London. (Exhibition February 2018)
(4) Francia, d. (1961). Movements in Modern Art: Impressionism. Vienna: Brüder Rosenbaum.
(5) Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet to Cézanne. The National Gallery, London. (Exhibition November
2018)
(6) Duchting. (1996). Cézanne. Taschen America Llc.
(7) Sagner-Duchting. (1992). Claude Monet. Taschen America Llc.
(8) Reyburn. (1997). The Art of the Impressionists. Grange Books Ltd.
(9) Gariff. (2008). World’s Most Influential Painters and the Artists They Inspired: Stories and Hidden
Connections Between Great Works of Western Art.
Posted in: Art Students |

One thought on “My A* EPQ [Art-based Artefact FULL

Essay & Sketchbook Example|| Pastel Inspire]”

1.
SEJAL SARDA says: 01/10/2020 at 7:24 am REPLY
how many pages of the sketchbook did you complete in total? I’m planning to do something similar,
but explore a different art style in my work.

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