Beginning with Monet, the Impressionists were a daring group of modernists who sought to undo the traditional salon elements of painting in an attempt to find a stylistic language to express the rapid pace of modern life in turn-of-the-century Paris. Beginning in the 1870s, these painters worked in one another's studios, exhibited together, authored a group manifesto, and collected one another's paintings. Not only have they gifted us some of the most recognizable and beloved works in history, they forged the beginnings of the art market as we know it today. We'll discuss the tenants of the movement, favorite works, and the American painters who worked alongside their French counterparts.