What is "luminism"

n. an artistic movement in the United States that was derived from the Hudson River School; active from 1850 to 1870; painted realistic landscapes in a style that pictured atmospheric light and the use of aerial perspective

Luminism may refer to

• Luminism (American art style), a current in North American painting
• Luminism (Impressionism), a neo-impressionist style in painting

|Emile Claus, Sunny Day (1899). Oil on canvas, 93 x 74 cm (36.5 x 28.9 in.) The Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent]] Luminism is a late- impressionist or neo-impressionist style in painting which devotes great attention to light effects.

The term has been used for the style of the Belgian painters such as Emile Claus and Théo van Rysselberghe and their followers ( Adriaan Jozef Heymans, Anna Boch, Évariste Carpentier, Guillaume Van Strydonck, , Jenny Montigny, , George Morren (1868-1941), Modest Huys, , , Yvonne Serruys and Juliette Wytsman, as well as for the early pointillist work of the Dutch painters Jan Toorop, Leo Gestel, Jan Sluijters, and Piet Mondriaan.

In the Spanish painting the luminism term or Valencian luminism used for the work of a group of prominent Spanish painters led by Joaquín Sorolla, Ignacio Pinazo Camarlench, Teodoro Andreu, Francisco Benítez Mellado and Vicente Castell.

Both styles have little in common. Emile Claus's work is still close to that of the great French impressionists, especially Claude Monet, whereas Dutch luminism, characterized by the use of large color patches, is closer to fauvism.

Luminism is an American landscape painting style of the 1850s – 1870s, characterized by effects of light in landscapes, through using aerial perspective, and concealing visible brushstrokes. Luminist landscapes emphasize tranquillity, and often depict calm, reflective water and a soft, hazy sky.

The term luminism was introduced by mid-20th-century art historians to describe a 19th-century American painting style that developed as an offshoot of the Hudson River school. The artists who painted in this style did not refer to their own work as "luminism", nor did they articulate any common painting philosophy outside of the guiding principles of the Hudson River school. Many art historians find the term 'luminism' problematic. J. Gray Sweeney argues that “the origins of luminism as an art-historical term were deeply entwined with the interests of elite collectors, prominent art dealers, influential curators, art historians, and constructions of national identity during the Cold War.” Building on Sweeney's work, Alan Wallach has called for a wholesale rethinking of 'luminism' as a historical phenomenon.

Luminism shares an emphasis on the effects of light with impressionism. However, the two styles are markedly different. Luminism is characterized by attention to detail and the hiding of brushstrokes, while impressionism is characterized by lack of detail and an emphasis on brushstrokes. Luminism preceded impressionism, and the artists who painted in a luminist style were in no way influenced by impressionism.